Energy transition and digitalisation will increasingly transform the maritime industry. Where exactly the journey might lead and what opportunities exist for the industry were illustrated during expert presentations and discussions by Rittal and Eplan at the 13th “Ship & Sea Industry Day” in Hamburg. It was clear that intelligent electrification, networking and automation are key elements in making shipping more energy efficient and climate neutral in the future.
“Intelligent electrification and automation in the maritime industry” – was the focus of the 13th conference hosted by Rittal and Eplan on 28 November in the historic “Speicherboden” warehouse in Hamburg, Germany. Industry representatives exchanged ideas on how to cost-effectively harness the potential of energy-efficient ship infrastructure and link different systems on board – now and in the future. Speakers from the industry and academia gave valuable insights into the changing global shipbuilding market (VDMA – German Machinery and Plant Manufacturers’ Association) and the potential of ship automation (Hochschule Flensburg).
Efficiency was in the spotlight: As more and more sub-systems on board are electrified, the connection to new energy sources and the distribution of energy on demand are becoming more and more important. For ships, the potential for energy savings, efficiency improvements and compliance with emission limits is considerable.
In short, there are several ways in which intelligent solutions can help achieve a better and more sustainable shipping industry. In their presentations at the conference, Rittal and Eplan, together with GEA, Semodia, Phoenix Contact, Meyer Werft and Schottel, made it clear that they are ready to take advantage of this potential with many innovative approaches. They also explained how Rittal and Eplan are using the digital twin to rethink power supply and distribution in the maritime industry, and how their own solutions are simplifying things.
How a ship can be managed and operated sustainably depends not only on electrification but also on connectivity and automation. The aim is to achieve significant additional efficiency gains through the optimisation of the interaction between the various systems on board. For example, the open data standard known as Module Type Package (MTP) can be used. In terms of data consistency, it offers significant added value to the maritime industry.
Thanks to having Semodia as a partner, Eplan is MTP ready and thus represents the beginning of the entire MTP process: In the early planning and design phase, the standardised base MTP file is generated, which can then be further processed with automation technology, ensuring shorter times in later ship operation, for example when individual modules are replaced.
Further specific approaches were outlined by specialists from the shipbuilding industry, both from solution providers and suppliers, as well as from the shipyard perspective. All in all, it became clear that moving towards greener and more efficient shipping offers enormous potential for innovative products and solutions in the industry and for protecting the environment.