Under a new strategic partnership agreement, French offshore services firm Bourbon and testing, inspection and certification services provider Bureau Veritas will develop and deploy new digital technologies, including solutions for automation, real time fleet monitoring and mitigating cyber risks.
For dynamic positioning systems in particular, the partnership will aim to deliver advanced automation of to enable real-time advisory tools for bridge operators and remote support for onshore teams, streamlined onboard organization to potentially reduce manning, and a reduction in fuel and DP maintenance costs.
Bourbon said a pilot has developed with strategic partner Kongsberg Maritime has been certified by Bureau Veritas and is already been implemented on its vessel Bourbon Explorer 508 operating in Trinidad waters. It collects data from the DP system and drives the development of novel decision-making and verification applications for both offshore crew and onshore support teams.
Another element of the project is addressing cyber security threats. Thanks to a global partnership with Bureau Veritas, APSYS, an Airbus company specialized in Product Security, is helping in identifying and mitigating risks linked to data collection and communication between Bourbon’s vessels and onshore infrastructure. Based on this risk assessment relying on best practices from APSYS’s aerospace experience, Bureau Veritas is able to issue cyber security certification on products and class notations for ships meeting global industry security standards.
“We have decided to innovate with Bureau Veritas in the way we operate vessels in order to bring a response to this new cycle focused on operational excellence at optimum cost. Streamlining work organization onboard vessels, this project will have a significant positive impact on our operations,” said Gaël Bodénès, CEO of Bourbon Corporation. “In this digital era, we also have a common will to deploy innovative technological solutions offering tangible benefits to our customers.”
“At Bureau Veritas, we know the value of strategic partnerships such as this,” said Jean-François Segretain, Technical Director, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. “They are a key to supporting our marine and offshore clients like Bourbon to integrate new technologies while mitigating the risks of our increasingly digital and connected world.”
