Project description
A solution for safe marine lifting operations
The offshore lifting decks in many marine activities such as in oil and fish farming industries are considered among the most dangerous sites for workers at sea. As a conequence, new technologies are required to eliminate risk from existing lifting operations. The EU-funded Evolift project offers a pioneering remote-controlled marine solution that can provide unmanned loading and offloading of cargo or buoys on in-shore and off-shore boats and oil rigs. The solution paves the ground for autonomous ships and rigs and opens the way for further development in subsea lifting operations without the support of remote-operated subsea vessels. The new technology permits loading operations in larger weather windows and heavier weather conditions than currently possible thus saving energy, lowering carbon emissions, increasing productivity and protecting human lives.
Objective
Evolift provides the worlds first remote controlled marine technology lifting unit solutions that are able to connect and release cargo that are moving due to waves, wind and current on the surface of the sea, remote controlled without the direct involvement of man-power.
Consequently we save time, eliminate risk of injury and death and make unmanned loading and offloading of boats, buoys, and cargo on sea vessels and oil rigs a possibility. This is solving a huge challenge that have to be solved if autonomous ships and rigs are to become a realistic alternativ and the solution can further be developed to release and connect in subsea lifting operations without the assistance of Remote Operated subsea Vessels (ROVs) or divers.
Without people, cargo transferal at sea can happen at a wider weather window, thus avoiding waiting periods and allowing route planning which lead to shorter routes, fewer lifts and significant lower carbon emission as Platform Supply Vessels (PSV) release 900 kg Co2 per our of running. Shorter routes brings down barriers to electrification of the propulsion systems of PSVs
The offshore lifting decks in marine lifting operations in the oil industry, fish farming industry and other industries at sea are some of the most dangerous places to work at and over represented with regards to injuries and fatal accidents. 10 out of 16 accidents from 1994-2017 where lifting related non the Norwegian shelf. A solution for this safety issue is long sought after in marine lifting operations world wide.
The technology is patented and will be a game changer and disrupt the way lifting operations are conducted today. We are basically making existing lifting operations risk free by moving personell out of the danger zone by eliminating the hooking on and off operations. For the lifting operations of the future, this enables un-manned vessels and rigs with unmanned cranes to operate on their own or be operated from a control room onshore at headquarter.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
4085 HUNDVAG
Norway
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.