Foreship - Experts & Thought Leaders

Foreship expertise in energy efficiency and sustainability will be central to optimising the performance of two new ro-pax ferries on their delivery into west Mediterranean services connecting Marseille and Corsica in 2027. The ships, due to be delivered to CMA CGM subsidiary La Méridionale, will be distinguished not only by powerplants that support dual fuel strategies for low carbon operations at sea but by enough battery power to enable zero-emission port stays. Concept design work Foreship developed the GA and outline specifications for the ships Offering capacity for 1,000 passengers and 2,500 lane metres of freight, the 180m long ships have been developed to modernise operations on the crossing between Marseille and Corsica.  Commissioned to provide concept design work, Foreship developed the GA and outline specifications for the ships and supported CMA CGM in negotiations with the shipyard. Battery pack specifications “These ships will feature state-of-the-art dual-fuel engines, but what makes them especially significant from the perspective of their immediate environmental impact will be the large 13 MWh battery energy storage system on board,” said Joonatan Haukilehto, Head of New Technologies, Foreship. “The system will be sufficient to sustain hotel loads during calls in Corsica, while shore charging is only available in Marseille." “With over 40 shipboard battery projects under its belt, Foreship had offered detailed guidance on the battery pack specifications that will be required to meet the zero-emission in-port performance expected of the La Méridionale duo,” he said. Safe Return to Port regulations Finnish company has also been retained by CMA CGM to provide naval architecture services The Finnish company has also been retained by CMA CGM to provide naval architecture services through the design and building phases of the project, including consultancy on stability, energy efficiency, and compliance with the Safe Return to Port regulations. “Following on from our design projects with Finnlines for the Baltic Sea and with TT-Line for the Bass Strait, we are delighted to support CMA CGM’s initiative to build next-generation, sustainable ro-pax ferries for its western Mediterranean services,” added Haukilehto. Energy efficiency technologies "With the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon by 2050, CMA CGM continues to invest in implementing the most promising energy efficiency technologies to decarbonise its fleet,” emphasised Xavier Leclercq, Vice President in charge of CMA Ships.  “Thus, with the help of Foreship and thanks to its expertise in energy performance optimisation, the two future ships of La Méridionale will consume 50% less energy compared to the Piana, the reference ship of the fleet, while offering a significantly improved passenger experience."

Foreship has recruited Jonny Berglund as its Business Development Director, in a new role to focus the Helsinki-based group’s efforts in growing its presence in commercial shipping. With a career-long commitment to maritime, including seagoing experience as an officer, Berglund has a formidable sales and business development record in technical areas which include ship energy, propulsion systems and performance monitoring. He has held senior roles at one of the world’s largest marine engine builders, at a supplier of technical products to commercial ships, and elsewhere. Business development record Berglund joins Foreship after a targeted recruiting process to grow its high value commercial design and project management work, with a focus on container ships, LNG carriers and offshore support vessels. He will concentrate on opportunities to exploit Foreship’s expertise and experience in environmental compliance, sustainability and ship decarbonisation. “This is a significant group appointment which aligns with strategic plans for Foreship to expand services in new and emerging markets,” said Lauri Haavisto, CEO, Foreship Group Ltd. “Jonny will work closely with the leadership team to open new territories and develop services, to drive and guide growth.” Offshore support vessels Berglund will also be at liberty to develop opportunities elsewhere in Europe With an initial target to grow Foreship’s commercial ship presence in Northern Europe, Berglund will also be at liberty to develop opportunities elsewhere in Europe and in key maritime hubs in Asia. “Being tasked with expanding Foreship’s activities outside its market-leading position in the cruise industry is an exciting prospect,” said Berglund. “There is a huge opportunity for commercial owners to benefit from what Foreship is doing to assist cruise and ferry ships now to manage energy spend, reduce emissions and make progress on decarbonisation.” Managing energy spend Berglund’s efforts will leverage the ties Foreship has already established with commercial owners based on innovative design. Last year, for example, the company completed the concept design for Seaspan Corporation’s ground-breaking ammonia-fuelled 15,000 TEU container ship, working with Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. UK-based Berglund will also add to the expertise and business connections based in Foreship’s growing office in Southampton. “We welcome Jonny to the Southampton operation and look forward to offering him every support as he builds new opportunities, working alongside Foreship’s existing sales channels,” said Shaun White, Managing Director Foreship UK Ltd.

Asia Pacific Maritime (APM), the largest meeting place in Southeast Asia for the global maritime value chain, will return for its 18th installment in Singapore from 13 to 15 March 2024 at the Marina Bay Sands.  The premier exhibition and conference is expected to bring together more than 14,000 shipowners, shipyards, ship management, and technical procurers to meet over 1,400 solutions providers.  Solutions and services “For the past few months, we have been reconnecting with industry players globally to learn about their latest solutions, services, and technologies that will drive the maritime sector over the next decade,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Group Project Director, RX, the organiser of APM. "Through APM, we are excited to be connecting these global brands with the Asian audience and bringing their offerings here to further support collaboration and growth. We look forward to cultivating a space for conversations and discussions that will future-proof the maritime sector.”  Decarbonisation efforts Maritime faces significant pressure to be more sustainable and innovative in this increasingly challenging world As an industry essential for the world’s economic development, maritime faces significant pressure to be more sustainable and innovative in this increasingly challenging world. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the maritime sector, which carries around 80% of the global merchandise trade currently, urgently needs to decarbonise, and these decarbonisation efforts need to come together with technological innovation, sound multilateral regulation, and economic growth to face rising costs, especially among the most vulnerable economies. Future of vessels, solutions for tomorrow  With the theme “Future of Vessels, Solutions for Tomorrow”, APM 2024 aims to be the platform for knowledge exchange and information sharing. The conference and exhibition will focus on highlighting smarter solutions to achieve net-zero objectives, drive cybersecurity, improve satellite communication mobility, and embrace digitalisation. Joining at the exhibition front will be innovative solutions including drones, batteries, electric marine engines and propulsion, sustainable paints and coatings, and tech solution companies, just to name a few. Maritime drones Flyability will also head a session at the APM conference to address the use of drones to enhance inspection Maritime drones are increasingly used for inspection in environments that are tough to navigate, such as engine rooms and ports, as they can help improve safety while keeping operational costs low. At APM 2024, attendees will be able to explore Flyability’s ELIOS 3, the world’s first collision-tolerant drone equipped with a LiDAR sensor for indoor 3 mapping. Flyability has pioneered confined space inspection drones that enable professionals to improve safety, reduce downtime, and cut costs for their internal inspections. Flyability will also head a session at the APM conference to address the use of drones to enhance inspection and surveillance for port operations.  Notable exhibitors Other notable exhibitors amongst the 1,400 pioneering brands on the floor include Wartsila, MTU, Niigata, Engtek, Reintjes, Schaller Automation, Yanmar, Daihatsu Diesel, Nakashima, Schottel, Bergen Engines, Yara Marine, Marlink, Speedcast, OTESAT_MARITEL, Hostmost, Jotron, KVH, Furuno, Tero Marine, Danaos, Jason Electronics, Codar, Can Traders, Alphatron, Nabtesco, Thuraya, Asia Satellite Telecommunications, Bachmann Electronic, Navtor, Auto-Maskin, VINSSEN, Vertidrive NL, Durapower, EST-Floattech, Hanla IMS, Panasia, Shinwoo, GEA, Lindenberg-Anlagen, Zollern GmbH, Flender, Thordon Bearings, Roxtec, Sauer Compressors, Fincantieri Italy, DESMI, Den-Jet, Damen Shipyard, Nippon Paint, Jotun, Chugoko Marine Paint and many more. Chil-Han Lee, the founder, and CEO of VINSSEN Co., Ltd., a pioneering provider of Hydrogen Fuel Cells, lithium-ion batteries, and propulsion systems, said, “VINSSEN has delivered several maritime decarbonisation projects involving Hydrogen Fuel Cell technology and full battery electric propulsion system." Six conference themes Our study of hydrogen as a maritime fuel was made possible thanks to the industry partnerships" "Our study of hydrogen as a maritime fuel was made possible thanks to the industry partnerships we have established in Singapore. This is why platforms like APM 2024 are important as they allow opportunities for collaboration and mutual learning to drive the industry forward.” The conference, sponsored by DNV, will feature more than 80 speakers to deliver dialogues across six conference themes spread out across three days – Sustainability, Innovation and Digitalisation, Manpower & Training, Maritime Cyber Security, Port & Terminals, and Insurance.  Main and innovation stage Parallel tracks will run concurrently at two separate stages on the show floor to enable a more comprehensive sharing of knowledge focusing on topics of interest. The Main Stage will see some of the world’s top industry experts and pioneers sharing first-hand insights into how to drive businesses forward. On the other hand, the Innovation Stage will feature business pioneers and other industry specialists showcasing successful case studies, pioneering innovations, and inspiring visions to help companies overcome challenges in business growth.   Speakers Some of the C-suite speakers confirmed to date include: Jayendu Krishna, Director-Deputy Head, Maritime Advisors, Drewry  Jan-Erik Rasanen, CTO, Foreship Daejin Lee, Global Head of Research, Fertistream Simon Grainge, CEO, International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) Punit Oza, Founder of Maritime NXT/ International Vice President of Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Panos Theodossopoulos, CEO, METIS Cyberspace Technology S.A. Ho Chaw Sing, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) Kenlip Ong, CEO, Pelagus 3D Budi Cahyono, Vice President Director, PT. Jakarta International Container Terminal Tarun Mehrotra, Chief Strategy Officer, RightShip Jan-Paul de Wilde, Head of Decarbonisation, Energy Transition & Innovation, RINA Singapore Rahul Kapoor, Vice-President, Global Head of Shipping Analytics & Research, S&P Global Commodity Insights John Rowley, CEO, Wallem Nakul Malhotra, Vice President, Emerging Opportunities Portfolio – Maritime Services, Wilhelmsen Marine cyber resilience How do we balance the conflict between business demands for technology innovations, such as AI" Richard Wagner, Regional Director Asia, CyberOwl, who will share about the latest technological innovations for marine cyber resilience at the conference, commented, “The maritime industry has transformed greatly over the last few years. We now see pioneering technologies reshaping the industry, but there are also challenges that these opportunities bring." "How do we balance the conflict between business demands for technology innovations, such as AI and the drive towards autonomous operations, with cyber risk management in the face of rising costs for cyber compromise? I look forward to discussing these topics at APM 2024.” APM 2024 roadshow The APM 2024 roadshow has begun with a series of events for the local maritime communities across Southeast Asia to offer early insights into the key topics that will be discussed at the event in Singapore. Upcoming roadshows include 17 January 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and 22 February 2024 in Batam, Indonesia. All registered professionals for APM 2024 will be granted free access to both the exhibition and conference floors.