The four 18,600 dwt tankers for Ektank and four 9,900 dwt tankers for Utkilen will be fitted with integrated automation systems. These link together other systems, such as power management, cargo control and alarms.
This new level of integration is essential for the vessels’ long-term performance and reliability, Høglund claimed. It also allows the owners an enhanced data access level from the automated systems for optimisation purposes, which would otherwise be costly and difficult to extract.
“These developments point to a new level of awareness of the importance of integrated automation in the chemical tanker segment,”said Høglund CEO Børge Nogva.“Historically, automation systems have been a low-priority item and as such, often including several different components from various manufacturers that are linked, but not integrated, even if they have the same logo.
“By prioritising integrated automation, Ektank and Utkilen will benefit from increased reliability, better visibility into the data within their systems and a single point of contact for upgrades and service. Automation systems are the nervous systems of modern vessels – and as the fleet becomes smarter, it’s becoming ever more costly to ignore them,”he said.
These vessels will also benefit from Høglund’s 24/7 engineering support service and the customised automatic reporting systems directly from ship to shore. Thge company said that it prides itself on being able to resolve 90% of service requests remotely, drastically reducing downtime and saving owners and operators from potentially mission-critical delays.
"Høglund has a unique appreciation of the need to create a tailored system and support it from installation onwards,”said Fredrik Farsen, Ektank’s technical manager.“We see integrated automation as something that is becoming increasingly necessary for the long-term health of our fleet.
“As modern vessels become increasingly sophisticated, it’s vital that we can access a full range of data from our automation systems,” added Leif Larsen from Utkilen.“Thanks to Høglund’s integrated systems, it’s much easier for us to get the information we need to optimise systems and resolve any issues."
Høglund also has installed automation systems at retrofit for owners and operators across segments.