Wärtsilä and PSA Marine to develop smart technologies

Areas of expected collaboration include electric or hybrid technologies to increase the use of low-emission energy and propulsion systems; the incorporation of next-generation smart vessel technologies; the adoption of secure connectivity to allow ship-to-shore data exchange; and marketing and branding activities.

A letter of intent was signed in November as part of events celebrating the anniversary of the opening of the Wärtsilä Acceleration Centre in Singapore.

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PSA Marine and Wärtsilä have pledged to design and develop more solutions for smart and low-emission harbour craft. The intention is to integrate the capabilities developed in the IntelliTug project, which is bringing an autonomously operated harbour tug concept to feasibility, with hybrid, electric, and other clean energy sources.

IntelliTug technologies undergoing testing aboard PSA Marine’s PSA Polaris tug include the joystick and digital control of the vessel’s azimuth thrusters, virtual anchoring to hold position, smart navigation with automatic path planning, and situational awareness for detecting and avoiding the risk of collisions.

The Wärtsilä Acceleration Centre has played an important role in the project, which also led to the launch of Wärtsilä’s Smart Technology Lab in Singapore. The lab provides facilities for testing integrated technologies in close cooperation with customers and users in a collaborative environment.

“We look forward to continuing our innovative and important work together,” said Wärtsilä Singapore managing director Mervin Ong.

“PSA Marine and Wärtsilä intend to lead and develop smart, scalable, and clean energy solutions, as we play our part towards decarbonisation and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions,” said PSA Marine managing director Peter Chew.