TECHNOLOGY company Wärtsilä Voyage has introduced Wärtsilä SmartMove Suite to the global shipping market. This flagship offering for semi-autonomous sailing features advanced sensors and high-accuracy ship control systems, effectively taking the concept of automated dock-to-dock operations to the next level.
Fully retrofittable, the SmartMove Suite can soup-up existing vessels with next-generation capabilities to improve safety, efficiency and productivity on the water. The technology enables navigation officers to perform at a higher level.
The first order was placed by American Steamship Company, a subsidiary of Rand-ASC Holdings LLC, and has been installed on the MV American Courage, a 194 metres Great Lakes self-unloading bulk freighter with a cargo carrying capacity of 24,300 gross tonnage. This is the largest ship ever capable of performing automated docking and dock-to-dock sailing operations.
The winding, often narrowing Cuyahoga River in Ohio, US, can be heavily congested, making it by far the most challenging of shipping routes for any vessel using automated sailing and docking technology. The Wärtsilä solution has been successfully tested on the American Courage since March 2020.
Pierre Pelletreau, vice president of engineering, Rand-ASC Holdings LLC, said, “American Steamship Company chose to partner with Wärtsilä Voyage based on their ability to bring to bear their diverse subject matter experts into a cohesive team to deliver comprehensive solutions to complex challenges.
“The complete Voyage Smart technology package addresses the American Courage’s restricted water manoeuvring profile requirements including a position margin of less than two meters and transit under bridges.
“Wärtsilä adeptly familiarised themselves with our business sensitivities to drive adjustments throughout the project to benefit ASC. One example of this is the versioning of the technology that utilises the surrounding environment for vessel positioning making it ship-based rather than on shore.
“The resulting impact was a further reduction of the American Courage’s operating costs,” he said.
Advanced decision support systems, such as Wärtsilä SmartMove, bring value because they can automate the repetitive tasks, such as docking on repeated itineraries, allowing the navigation officers to focus their bandwidth on the parts of the operation.
John J Marshall, senior business development manager, automation and DP; Americas, Wärtsilä Voyage, said, “This is not about going captain-free, rather, enhancing the capabilities of onboard crew as they traverse shuttle routes, congested or restricted areas.
“When vessels must operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, we are pleased to offer an automated dock-to-dock transit solution that ensures every trip is conducted safely.”
