Smart Ship Technology
Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. announced on May 8 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the 7th with Saudi Arabia’s national shipping company Bahri on establishing a partnership in the smart ship sector.
Under the latest MOU, the two companies will jointly develop smart ship solutions and applying them to ships owned by the Saudi Arabian company. Bahri currently operates 37 very large crude carriers (VLCCs), the greatest number in the world.
Smart ship solution is a system that is applied to maximize a ship’s operational efficiency by using information and communication technology (ICT) and big data. Hyundai Heavy Industries developed the system in 2011 for the first time in the world. Also, the system is considered one of leading technologies in the fourth Industrial revolution, being at the center of attention in the industry.
The smart ship technology helps ship owners maintain optimum ship operations by remotely checking fuel efficiency and gas emissions, and also helps them save maintenance costs as it can locate defects in various equipment and materials in a ship in operation in real time. The smart ship system has been applied to about 300 ships so far.
In particular, demand of smart ship systems is expected to increase further as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has decided to introduce e-navigation, which digitalizes ship operation management systems, from 2019.
Hyundai Global Service that was spun off from Hyundai Heavy Industries in December last year will lead the development of smart ship technology. The company, which provides services ranging from ship systems to engines and other electronic units, will jointly develop the technology that will allow ship owners remotely monitor and control a ship’s machinery status, such as of engines and generators, and informs repair status and period in advance with Bahri.
Bahri has placed an order with Hyundai Heavy Industries for a total of 34 ships, including 10 VLCCs with Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries in 2015. The two companies have also shared a close relationship with the joint development, including construction and operation, of a ship yard in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Arabia’s state-run oil company Aramco.