Utilise the waterways with a floating recycling centre
DenCity is a Swedish research project that develops innovative solutions for sustainable and highly efficient passenger and freight transport in densely populated cities. One pilot in this project has been to design a barge as a floating recycling centre. In 2019, the first trial was performed and more than 2,500 people visited the floating recycling centre. It was great interest for this service, and it has already been decided that the barge will continue to run for another test period later in 2020.
New issue of SSPA Highlights
The latest issue of our company newsletter, SSPA Highlights, issue 67 has been published. Read articles about; Heading towards 2030, GreenPilot – guiding the way to low-emission and fossil-free operation of small vessels, The use and usefulness of AIS data, Tailored model tests for hull structural dynamics, SEAMAN Online – taking availability and flexibility to the next level, Oil spill risks in Arctic waters, A renaissance of wind-powered ships.
New Sales & Business Development Manager
SSPA has recruited Christian Schell, who recently took up the position of Sales & Business Development Manager in the Maritime Sales department. Christian is Captain with many years of experience from our clients' operations, he will be able to contribute to increased customer benefit and make SSPA an even stronger partner for the development of sustainable maritime solutions. We wish Christian Schell welcome to SSPA!
Heading towards 2030
SSPA’s vision is to be recognised as the most rewarding partner for innovative and sustainable maritime development. We want to contribute with new solutions to be able to achieve a long-term sustainable and environmentally friendly society for both those of us who live here today and for future generations.
GreenPilot – guiding the way to low-emission and fossil-free operation of small vessels
The project converted a pilot boat to operate on renewable methanol fuel, demonstrating the improvements to environmental and operational performance that can be achieved for this fuel.
The use and usefulness of AIS data
AIS data offers the possibility to understand historical and typical ship behaviour, as well as generate real-time decision-support solutions for mariners and shore-based operators. SSPA has engaged in various research and development projects using AIS data as their basis, and even offers important and novel commercial tools that function via algorithmic analyses of historical and real-time AIS data.
Tailored model tests for hull structural dynamics
SSPA has developed techniques for analysis of ship hull structural dynamics over several years. We decided to share this information and join forces with several partners to develop knowledge, and a new research project was formed and led by SSPA. This resulted in an accurate model testing technique, know-how to carry out this kind of model testing and insights into possibilities to develop further important techniques to support this important area of technology.
SEAMAN Online – taking availability and flexibility to the next level
The phrase “Repetitio est mater studiorum” or “Repetition is th e mother of learning” was the starting point for the SEAMAN Online™ development. Requested by clients who wanted to provide their staff or students with unlimited access to a manoeuvring training environment, SEAMAN Online is the world’s first web-based professional maritime manoeuvring training simulator.
A renaissance of wind-powered ships
Recently, wind power has resurfaced as an option worth taking seriously and suppliers of innovative wind technology are appearing on the market. But which ones of the numerous solutions are most suitable? To what extent will they really reduce carbon emissions? SSPA has developed efficient prediction tools for both wind-driven and wind-assisted ships in order to support the development of more sustainable maritime transports.
Oil spill risks in Arctic waters
The sensitivity of Arctic areas, in combination with its remoteness and the particularly harsh conditions in cold climates, increases the importance of adequate methodology for estimation of the risk. An oil spill risk assessment forms an important link in the chain of prevention, detection, control and mitigation of spills. SSPA has developed a method to provide answers to the questions; where, how often, what type of oil and the size of t he oil spills that may be expected.
Latest research on maritime analyses
To be able to reduce the risk of shipping accidents, the environmental footprint, and maritime infrastructure costs, researchers need to continue to develop and test new prediction methods and tools. Improved and innovative maritime analyses will allow experts to make more accurate predictions about the effects of certain changes made to routes, infrastructures or traffic patterns, and provide better decision support to maritime actors. In late December, the latest research on maritime risk and environmental analyses was presented in a seminar at SSPA in Gothenburg.
Why some propellers have unexpectedly low value of relative rotative efficiency, new paper
The relative rotative efficiency reflects the torque difference for a propeller working in the open water and in the behind conditions. It is obtained during the scaling of model test results with the standard ITTC-78 method. A research article, published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (JSME), presents our new findings and a thorough explanation about the cause of low relative rotative efficiency value for the low blade area propellers.
New framework agreement with Ports of Stockholm
Recently, we signed a framework agreement with Ports of Stockholm regarding ship simulations, maritime risk inventories and traffic-, incident- and accident investigations. SSPA had previously a similar framework agreement and has supported investigations and ship simulations regarding the establishment of the new Stockholm Norvik Port, development of Stockholm as a cruise destination and various minor jobs in Kapellskär.
Wind-Powered Car Carrier
In the research project Wind-Powered Car Carrier (wPCC) a wind-powered vessel will be developed, from concept to a technical and financially viable design ready to be built within 3-5 years. This project aims to pave the way for a paradigm shift in maritime transport by demonstrating that this new transport concept is possible even in the near future. We do not necessarily need to wait until 2050 to reach IMO's goal of 50% reduction of greenhouse gases.
WASP project launched
The Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) project has recently been officially approved and launched. This project brings together universities, wind-assist technology providers with ship owners to research, trial and validate the operational performance of a selection of wind propulsion solutions. SSPA is one of the expert partners that will test wind propulsion systems on different types of vessels, routes and sea conditions. WASP is funded by the Interreg North Sea Europe programme.
Research project Value2Sea
Since modal shift can help reduce congestion and emissions in cities, the Value2Sea project develops and shares knowledge regarding logistics solutions to support modal shift, such as dry port operations and use of waterways. The use of new technologies can reduce barriers for shifting goods from road to sea, by increasing efficiency of maritime transport chains.
Research project HyMethShip
The aim of the research project HyMethShip is to drastically reduce emissions and improve the energy efficiency of waterborne transport at the same time. The project will develop and test a system for marine propulsion that is capable of reducing CO2 emissions by more than 97%, using renewable methanol as the energy carrier and implementing pre-combustion carbon capture. The system will be demonstrated onshore at full scale.
Research project IWTS 2.0
Inland waterway transport offers relatively slow, cheap, climate friendly hinterland transport alternatives for commodities transported in large quantities or bulk. Many waterways in Europe remain widely un-/underused in the past decades. By piloting eight small waterway modal shifts, the project will showcase proven concepts that can be adopted by the market.
Quality management
SSPA’s management system ensures high technical quality and high efficiency in the execution of projects. It is used on a daily basis by all employees at SSPA and is continuously improved through a web based reporting and follow up system. The management system at SSPA is certified in compliance with SS-EN ISO 9001. Our laboratory are accredited according to SS-EN ISO/IEC 17025.
Our test facilities
Physical model testing will continue to be an important tool in the process of developing ships and assessing their performance. SSPA has the capability to perform most kinds of model testing in its facilities: the towing tank, the large cavitation tunnel, the seakeeping and manoeuvring basin and combine with computer tests.