Hanwha Ocean develops smart ship tech for CII monitoring

South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean has developed a smart ship technology that monitors a vessel’s carbon intensity index (CII). 

The new technology assesses how much carbon dioxide a ship produces while it is operating and uses this information to calculate its annual operational CII, a measure of fuel efficiency based on fuel usage and distance traveled.

Hanwha Ocean has integrated this new technology with its proprietary smart ship platform, the Hanwha SmartShip Solution & Service (HS4), to automate monitoring. Shipowners can see important data in real time. This includes the vessel’s current rating, the rating for a single voyage, and a projected rating for the end of the year, so they can optimize navigation routes and speed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, according to Hanwha.

The South Korean shipbuilding major plans to deploy this technology in recently contracted orders for very large ammonia carriers (VLACs), to improve the carbon footprint of these vessels. The solution presents shipowners with a range of options to comply with strict environmental regulations.

Since last year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has required all ships of 5,000 gross tonnages and above to calculate and report their annual operational CII.

Based on the number reported, the IMO evaluates a ship’s carbon intensity on a scale from A (best) to E (worst). Vessels rated D for three consecutive years or E for one year must submit a corrective action plan and cannot resume normal operations until they achieve a C grade.

Hanwha Ocean equips its ships with energy-saving devices such as air lubrication systems and shaft generator motors and rotor sails. These eco-friendly technologies are expected to further support shipowners in complying with environmental regulations while remaining competitive.