ABB technology to help vessels operate safely 5 kilometers below sea level

Marine software and hardware to assist multi-purpose diving support vessels in complex deep-water projects

February 1, 2016 (Zurich, Switzerland) – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, will provide the technology that will help three vessels safely carry out construction and maintenance tasks up to 5 kilometers under water.

The vessels will be equipped with ABB’s OCTOPUS software that uses sensors and the Internet of Things, Services and People (IoTSP) to interpret weather conditions, allowing the crew to make informed decisions during sensitive operations. The ships will be built for Ultra Deep Solutions at CSIC Huangpu Wuchang Shipbuilding Company Limited and China Merchants Heavy Industry.

The largest vessel’s apparatus will include two remotely operated underwater vessels (ROVs), that will dive up to 3000 meters, and a 400 ton crane that can drop 5 200 meters. It will measure 142 meters in length.

The OCTOPUS suite of products is a powerful tool that provides onboard decision support and operational advice during weather-sensitive offshore operations by monitoring and forecasting vessel motions. When working in deep-water without mooring or anchoring lines, an important part of the set-up is the OCTOPUS-Operational forecast function. This extension within OCTOPUS makes it possible to define an optimal operational window during weather sensitive operations on DP.

Koskela, Managing Director of ABB’s Marine and Ports business, said, “The broad scope of supply we have on these vessels is a demonstration of the wide range of solutions we have to offer the maritime sector. These vessels will benefit from some of the most established software and hardware technologies in the shipping industry.”

The vessels also will feature ABB generators, motors, drives and switchboards.

Jithu Sukumaran Nair, General Manager of Shipbuilding at Ultradeep Solutions said, “We are proud to be the first offshore vessel operator in the world to install the OCTOPUS weather monitoring system on board high tech dive vessels”

About ABB’s Marine Software & Analytics
ABB offers the widest portfolio of marine software and optimization systems to the maritime market. Its performance management solution consists of the OCTOPUS advisory suite and the `Emma` advisory suite, a decision support toolkit to minimize the overall fuel and energy costs for a whole fleet.

About ABB

ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility, industry, and transport and infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in roughly 100 countries and employs about 140,000 people.

About UDS

UDS specializes in the design, construction and operation of World-Class Ultra Deep Diving Heavy Construction Vessel to the offshore industry. Its onshore and offshore expertise provides top-class quality offshore-related services/knowledge with excellent high standards.