Project partners and contextual factors
Norway has in the last couple of years worked on many projects related to the automation shift such as Yara Birkeland. Different institutions, including the Municipality of Haugesund are on the avant-garde on this front, as they are actively involved in promoting and facilitating automation projects. For instance, they have recently applied for the permission to establish a national test centre for autonomous vessels in Killingøy.
The NMA, also located in Haugesund, is the administrative and supervisory authority in matters related to vessels with Norwegian flag and foreign ships in Norwegian waters. The NMA aims at being a world-leading and attractive collaborating partner with a focus on high level of safety and cleaner environment. Together with the Norwegian maritime cluster at large, the NMA plays a significant role in the automation shift in the international maritime organization. Maritime offshore operations are among the most expensive and most dangerous activities that can exist. To operate petroleum and LNG tanker ships can cost about 37000 dollars per day for the largest ships. To make a mistake is extremely expensive, not only economically but it can cost lives and the environment. The automation of the service vessels (ships) involved in oil and gas activities is a huge enterprise and according to the NMA this is the fastest automated field in the maritime sector (faster than passenger and cargo shipping, for instance). Among the NMA the perception is that all service ships will most likely be digitalized and remotely automated in the next ten years (David Svein Medhaug, personal communication). Norway is in the forefront of this shift and carries a great responsibility to secure safer, environmentally friendly, and efficient operations at seas.
Norway has a large maritime cluster and many shipping companies operating world-wide. Knutsen OAS, a Haugesund-founded shipping company, is the second largest shuttle tanker operator in the world and second in size in buoy loaders. They own a fleet specialized in transport of LNG with office in Spain which is managed by the head office in Haugesund. Over the next few years, they will hire several hundred new seafarers as they have built many new vessels, most of which will be operating with advanced digital solutions. Knutsen OAS is known for their own newly developed and approved ballast system. Even the traditional shipping such as the shuttle tanker operators represent a large and important part of today’s project for energy transition with complex technology, both digital and automatic aimed at reducing emissions and again human and environmental risk during maritime operations. Knutsen OAS is exemplary of how Norwegian maritime industry is absolutely positioned to be a leader in this field due to the size of the company, the investment/technology willingness and expensive labor.
Automation has tended to improve safety and reliability in operations (hence reducing risk both for humans and environment) and removed tedious/repetitive tasks and thus improving the well-being of the workers. AVO Consulting is a Norwegian based company whose teams are specialists in technology helping companies perform more efficiently through smart use of technology. AVO Consulting’s maritime team harnesses data from the maritime sector and provide new digitalization and automated technology to solve challenges with various operations. Working hand-in-hand with other shipping companies, AVO provides insight on how automation, digitalization and innovation change, how business models operate and the effect they have on people, culture and organization.
Finally, important to our research is the latest IMO 2020 regulations decree which demands a drastic cutting of Sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions by ships to 0,50% m/m from the previously allowed limit of 3,50% m/m. In addition, in the IMO strategic plan (2018-2023) the second key Strategic Direction (SD2) is to “integrate new and advancing technologies” whereas advancing technology is synonym for automation. In the same plan, the third strategic point (SD3) is “respond to climate change” (IMO, 2018:6). To conduct research on this huge transition is important and timely (ILO, 2019). This is both because of the need to improve safety for workers and the environment, and because ongoing innovations within automation in the maritime sector require research and collaboration with the social sciences in order to anticipate challenges, facilitate solutions as well as uncover societal and cultural dimensions of the shift. Innovation in offshore operations is key to improve safety and efficiency in the offshore oil and gas industry – and provides the basis for a transition to “green energy” solutions and technology due to the transfer value. One of the most important goals of the automation shift is to improve efficiency and safety for the workers, the environment and the machines.