ABB uses digital technology to improve Floatel safety

ABB has won a contract to supply an innovative ABB Ability™ Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS marine software for one of the world’s most advanced floating hotel vessels for offshore operation.

 

The 600-person accommodation vessel Edda Fides, operated by Edda Accommodation, will now be able to integrate real-time weather forecasts with ABB Ability™ Marine Advisory System – OCTOPUS, a digital solution that helps vessel owners gather and analyze data to optimize operations.

OCTOPUS will provide advice on how to operate the gangway to ensure safe crew and offshore personnel transfers between two free-floating vessels. The system will calculate hydrodynamic parameters and their impact on vessel responses, as well as give insights into maximizing operational uptime within critical motion and acceleration limits.

“We are delighted to have concluded a contract for ABB Marine & Ports’ OCTOPUS solution,” said Johan Rokstad, CEO of Edda Accommodation. “ABB’s digital gangway motion monitoring system is a significant upgrade for Edda Fides, which we believe will raise vessel efficiency, improve crew safety, and provide added value to our customers.”

In addition to enhancing the crew and passenger transfer safety, OCTOPUS will optimize the overall operational performance of Edda Fides. Alarms will provide onboard warnings if pre-set limits are exceeded, while the OCTOPUS Fleet Portal will enable the shoreside operating staff to monitor vessel performance indicators.

“The contract reflects ABB Marine & Ports’ growing involvement in the offshore vessel segment and is the latest manifestation of our ‘Electric. Digital. Connected.’ strategy for the maritime industry,” added Juha Koskela, Managing Director, ABB Marine & Ports. “The OCTOPUS system is scalable and can be extended to provide a range of additional optimization modules for offshore contractors, owners and charterers.”

As floating accommodation units become integral components of complex deep-water offshore projects in harsh environments, safe gangway operations are critical to ensuring the highest standards and maximizing vessel uptime. ABB won its first order for an OCTOPUS gangway monitoring and forecasting system in 2013, when Poseidon Maritime Services placed a contract for a system installation on board its accommodation vessel Aquarius Brasil. This vessel is currently operating in the deep and often challenging waters of Brazil’s Campos Basin.

ABB Ability™ is the company’s unified, cross-industry offering extending from device to edge to cloud, integrating data to and from products, systems, solutions and services to deliver actionable information. The ABB Ability™ platform uses Microsoft Azure as the cloud for its integrated connectivity, so users can access enterprise-grade infrastructure that benefits from Microsoft’s significant investment.

ABB is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees.