11 Jul 2024

RightShip, a global Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) focused digital maritime platform, welcomes Wilhelmsen Ships Service (Wilhelmsen), a leader in maritime solutions, to its Zero Harm Innovation Partners programme (ZHIP).

As part of this collaboration, Wilhelmsen will highlight its cutting-edge products, the Timm Snap Back Arrestor (SBA™) rope and the Line Management Plan (LMP™), both of which exemplify its commitment to safer mooring practice.

Zero-harm maritime

The ZHIP, launched in March 2024, aims to encourage the development of new technologies and solutions for a zero-harm maritime industry.

By connecting product creators with shipowners and charterers, the programme facilitates the testing of innovative technologies in real-world environments, enhancing safety and sustainability in the maritime sector. Currently, the programme includes six Partners.

Safer and more sustainable maritime

"We are delighted to welcome Wilhelmsen to the ZHIP and look forward to the positive impact its innovative solutions will have on advancing a safer and more sustainable maritime industry," said Ajinkya Kadam, Head of Partnerships at RightShip.

He added, "The interest the ZHIP has garnered over the past few months is a testament to the collective ambition of the ecosystem to develop a safer maritime sector for all."

Working towards safer mooring

The incidents often result in injuries and highlight the need for improved safety measures

Mooring operations present significant safety challenges. The number of mooring-related incidents has risen in ports like Rotterdam, where reported accidents increased from 122 in 2020 to 159 in 2023.

These incidents often result in injuries and highlight the need for improved safety measures.

Mooring safety standards

Being a part of RightShip’s ZHIP is a testament to Wilhelmsen's dedication to enhancing mooring safety standards in the maritime industry," said Thomas Caradec, Product Management and Planning Director, Mooring Solutions at Wilhelmsen.  

"We aim to drive a positive change in the maritime industry and collaborate with other partners in the programme to find ways to improve safety at sea."

Active and passive safety measures

Passive measures like the SBA™ can minimise the severity of risks in case of accidents

Wilhelmsen is committed to mitigating mooring-related risks by offering a set of active and passive safety measures.

Active measures, such as the LMP™, aim to reduce the probability of accidents, while passive measures like the SBA™ can minimise the severity of risks in case of accidents. 

The world's first and only snap-back rope  

The SBA™ rope is the world’s first and only anti-snap-back rope qualified by DNV. It is renowned as the safest mooring rope on the market, significantly reducing dangerous snapbacks and providing the safest possible working conditions for crew members.

The innovative design of the SBA™ centres around its energy absorption capabilities, where its core functions as a non-load-bearing component during normal rope operation. In the event of a load-bearing construction break, the SBA™ core partially absorbs the snap-back energy resulting in a substantial reduction of snap-back forces.

Insights into rope usage and maintenance

The cloud-based platform provides real-time insights into rope usage and maintenance

The LMP™ simplifies rope management by documenting evaluation methods and requirements for determining line retirement criteria.

The cloud-based platform provides real-time insights into rope usage and maintenance, acting as a digital logbook for storing rope certificates, managing inventory, and accessing inspection history. 

Crew efficiency

The LMP™ enhances safety and optimises crew efficiency by offering a holistic overview of all ropes onboard and a history of their usage and inspections, ensuring compliance with safety regulations.

The application was developed following the introduction of updated Mooring Equipment Guidelines (MEG4) by the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) to provide ship operators with a comprehensive tool to manage their mooring line inventory.