Arctic shuttle tanker ShturmanAlbanov equipped with ABB’s RDS system, near the Arctic Gates terminal in the Kara Sea. Credit: ABB.

ABB has received a contract to supply remote diagnostic systems for Russian maritime shipping firm Sovcomflot’s ice-going fleet.

Under the contract, 11 Sovcomflot ships operating in the Arctic and Russia’s Far East will receive around the clock remote diagnostics support.

The contract covers eight shuttle tankers that serve Varandey, Novy Port and Prirazlomnoye. The remaining three vessels are ice-breaking supply ships operating in the Sea of Okhotsk as part of the Sakhalin-1 project.

ABB Ability Marine Remote Diagnostic Systems (RDS) deploys sensor-driven on-board monitoring software that fully integrates with analytics ashore. The RDS enables digitally connected engineers to solve cases remotely, reducing visits to vessels by 30%.

ABB said that Sovcomflot’s ships will be among more than 1,000 ships connected to ABB Ability Collaborative Operation Centers worldwide.

ABB experts at these centres will observe operational shipboard systems, coordinate remote equipment diagnostics and provide predictive maintenance services.

Sovcomflotexecutive vice president and chief operating / chief technical officer Igor Tonkovidov said: “Predictive monitoring of critical equipment on board and maintenance support that is available 24/7 will be introduced seamlessly into Sovcomflot’s operations as part of our continuous commitment to enhancing vessel safety and reliability of vessel operations.

“ABB has been integral to Sovcomflot’s success in serving major energy projects in the harshest environments possible. As ABB brings its digital and connected remote monitoring solutions to a new level, we see a good opportunity to make the most of them in our continuous drive to operational excellence.”

ABB recently opened a Marine Service Center in Murmansk, Russia to support growing Arctic maritime industries.

The company said that this centre will now provide local language support particularly for customers such as Sovcomflot.