Neptune’s robots

Liquefied gas, robot trucks and cyber shipping is the future of water transport industry and it is something that is emerging right now. The journalists who visited Hamburg for the SMM advance press conference saw the operation of the LNG Hybrid Barge and the automated container terminal. They were also told about the prospects and risks of cyber technologies in shipping industry which currently experiences hard times.

Playing with boxes

Port and shipping industry will develop towards higher automation of all processes and the use of alternative fuels. This opinion was voiced by the representatives of leading companies and organizations of the industry at the media tour arranged in advance of the 27th International Maritime Trade Fair SMM-2016. The event will be held on September 6-9 in Hamburg, Germany.

The HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) in Hamburg  features a fully automated process of container transportation from a storage area to STS-cranes and back. Trucks do not even have a driver’s cabin – they do everything on their own.

Also, CTA is set to automate the checking of containers delivered by railway. For that purpose they will build a “railway gate” able to read the information about containers automatically. This will let facilitate the process of checking the information and reduce movements of people by motor transport which will consequently result in savings and reduction of CO2 emissions.

Automated container logistics is not just a tribute to fashion and costs optimization. It is a vital need for terminals intending to handle mega-boxships. Construction of vessels with larger capacity is an obvious trend in the market of container shipping and hub ports have to face it.

DNV GL Vice President Jan-Olaf Probst says that total number of vessels is hardly growing worldwide while the aggregate deadweight is increasing amid the growing average capacity of the global merchant fleet.

Meanwhile, Martin Stopford, Non-Executive President of Clarkson Research Services, pays attention to excess deadweight in the shipping market and slowdown in the growth of cargo traffic. Global maritime traffic is forecasted to grow by only 2% in 2016 against 2.8% in 2015 and 9.3% in 2010. The slowdown has been observed from 2010. However, average demand for tonnage from 2006 till 2015 was estimated at 65 mln t per year amid average newbuildings’ tonnage of 112 mln t per year. The year of 2016 is forecasted to see the delivery of 103 mln t of tonnage, 2017 – 88.9 mln t. Total deadweight of ships ordered in 2016 is to make 42 mln t, the lowest since 1998. Tens of shipyards are to be closed. As of today, there are 423 shipyards operating in the world, down from 992 in 2009.

The challenging situation in the shipping market has an impact on the industry players’ revenues. Clarksea Index has not yet recovered its pre-crisis level from 2009. It is about $12,000 per day now as in the period before 2000.

Nevertheless, Martin Stopford believes the future trend of the shipping industry will be associated with establishment of compact ‘smart’ shipping companies with fleet and logistic management based on the advanced satellite and information technologies allowing for automation and facilitation of shipping operations and navigation as well as for providing the management with on-line information. The expert also expects the organisation of new global transport systems like those used by Amazon, Uber, UPS etc.

On the other hand, automation also raises new risks. Lars Robert Pedersen, Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO, thinks that cybersecurity is not sufficiently ensured for vessels today. In particular, he says cybersecurity issues are not paid proper attention at the level of ship design, responsibility for cybersecurity issues is not clearly assigned, vessel information systems are poorly protected from virus attacks. Yet, computer systems have become a norm for automation of most vessels.

Approaching the emissions

One more trend of the industry is the reduction of hazardous emissions from ships and the use of alternative energy. For example, NECA status of the Baltic and the North Seas is under consideration. It will require the compliance of ships with a very tough Tier-III standard. Many experts believe no reliable technology to introduce this standard is available today >>>>. However, Lars Robert Pedersen thinks that available technologies have been tested enough and their introduction does not pose a serious technological problem, especially as they continue to develop.

Environmental restrictions also facilitate the use of alternative fuel like liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Apart from being a green fuel LNG can also be used for generation of electricity. The Hummel LNG Hybrid Barge operating at the port of Hamburg generates electricity and supplies it to cruise liners in summer and to coastal infrastructure facilities in winter. Total capacity of the Hummel’s 5 generators is 7.5 MW. The non-self-propelled barge was built in Slovakia and the company is going to build several more barges of this type.

All this suggests that the industry of water transport and port infrastructure is on the threshold of a technological revolution right under our eyes.

Vitaly Chernov.

Photo release from Hamburg is available here >>>>