CMA CGM and ABB partner to ‘enhance’ ship safety with new parametric roll algorithm

Marseille-headquartered shipping giant CMA CGM and Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB have teamed up to develop a parametric roll algorithm that would improve safety on ships.

As disclosed, ABB and CMA CGM are set to tailor a solution that integrates a theoretical framework made by the French sea, land, and air logistics major into the former’s ABB Ability OCTOPUS Marine Advisory system – a product family for performance management in maritime operations.

According to ABB, the system can help improve both safety and operational efficiency by detecting and helping to prevent ‘extreme’ parametric rolling. It reportedly also carries the potential to lower risks for cargo damage and loss at sea, which are known sources of marine pollution.

Under this initiative, ABB’s scope of supply is going to be the installation of the OCTOPUS onboard system as well as complete engineering, project management and commissioning services. The solution will be deployed across CMA CGM’s global fleet and offer comprehensive training services for those using the system.

Moreover, the system is anticipated to allow for real-time monitoring and response, which is projected to further improve voyage efficiency and minimize unplanned downtime caused by inclement weather.

Parametric rolling, per ABB, is a “severe and hard-to-predict” challenge, making the new partnership an ‘important’ step forward within the sustainable marine technologies sector.

As Japan’s classification society ClassNK has noted in a 2023 report, parametric rolling is a phenomenon that occurs abruptly when navigating in a head sea, following sea or quartering sea in sea states with large swells.

It is said to especially affect containerships, ro-pax vessels and car carriers. Namely, if a vessel encounters sea states conditions that can cause parametric rolling, a heavy rolling motion can occur in a short time, posing a threat to the ship itself, as well as to the cargo and the crew.

What is more, representatives from ABB and CGM believe that preventing this phenomenon could also result in avoiding the possible costs associated with repairs and cargo damage.

“Recent development in the maritime sector has focused increasingly on safety and sustainability,” said Tomas Arhippainen, Head of Marine Service and Digital, ABB Marine & Ports.

“Our partnership with CMA CGM on the parametric roll algorithm underscores our commitment to improving vessel safety and operational efficiency as well as contributing to environmental protection.”

Per ABB, the company has already fitted around CMA CGM 200 ships with its OCTOPUS system. Beyond that, in other recent company news, the company clinched an order from Singapore-based shipping company AAL Shipping in February 2025 for its Super B-Class heavy-lift vessels.