Eckerö Line improves vessel safety with ABB technology

Finnish shipping company Eckerö Line is using ABB’s Ability Marine Pilot Vision technology to improve operational safety when its cruise ferry Finlandia is manoeuvring and docking. 

The solution superimposes a virtual model of the ship onto real surroundings, which are measured using various sensor technologies. This allows crew to monitor the vessel and its surroundings by instantly switching from many perspectives. The solution also gives the user visibility to previously hidden obstacles.

“Our goal is to improve environmental performance and safety and we worked with ABB to achieve greater efficiency in docking and high traffic situations,” said Daniel Olsén, technical manager at Eckerö Group. “Our customers demand high levels of safety in all conditions and this solution enables our crew to provide a reliable service that doesn’t compromise their expectations.” 

Teams from ABB and Eckerö will install the solution without interrupting the ship’s thrice-daily trips between Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia. ABB will support the ship’s crew to maximise the system’s value and integrate it within the current bridge operations.

“Digitalisation provides solutions for existing and newbuild ships alike,” said Jyri Jusslin, head of Global Service at ABB Marine & Ports. “This retrofit does exactly that. Enhancing docking safety and efficiency will also allow Finlandia’s crew to support their schedule, in conditions that can vary from bright sunlight to dark icy conditions throughout the year.”