Germany's Combi Lift has ordered Damen Shipyards Group to build and deliver 19 customised shallow-draught vessels.
The vessels are to be built at Damen’s Yichang Shipyard in China, and the Gorinchem and Hardinxveld shipyards in the Netherlands.
The order includes four 2608SD Multicats, four 2612SD four Pusher Tugs, seven 8916SD Stan Pontoons and four 8605SD Side Floater vessels.
Combi Lift intends to use the vessels exclusively for transporting heavy-lift cargo from the Gazprom Amur Gas Processing Plant Project in Russia.
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES) have agreed to collaborate on the development of next-generation vessel monitoring and support systems.
The new systems will leverage real-time information provided by MES-produced data-collecting units alongside the data provided by MOL by using latest technologies such as ICT and system integrators.
They will also collect and analyse short-cycle data and big data from multiple sources.
MOL aims to prevent marine incidents and equipment failure, and optimise vessel routing through the joint initiative by integrating various ICT-related components, including artificial intelligence.
