Keeping a ship sailing sometimes feels like keeping hundreds of plates spinning in unison.
It takes constant shipping maintenance, careful attention, and, every now and then, some quick thinking to make sure that all of a ship’s specialized systems and equipment run smoothly.
And the challenge is growing: Delays are more common and shipping costs are higher, putting more pressure on you to reduce your spending and find new efficiencies.
That’s why more shipping companies are taking a new approach that was often overlooked in the past: onboard shipping maintenance infrastructure.
By renting solutions that can provide power, water, fuel and other services as needed, ships can remain operational almost indefinitely, even while maintenance is being carried out. Onboard infrastructure can greatly reduce the disruption of ship maintenance, decrease time-to-completion, and – if you choose to rent your infrastructure – is completely scalable to suit any length of ship and any size of fleet.
Let’s find out more about what onboard maintenance infrastructure is, how it can improve maintenance outcomes, and how we at Aggreko can help you adopt it on your ships.
Onboard shipping maintenance infrastructure is, in short, designed to provide all of the essential functions a ship needs to keep running smoothly while maintenance is being performed.
Onboard shipping maintenance infrastructure can generally be divided into four categories:
With the right onboard shipping maintenance solutions, you won’t just make your maintenance more efficient; you can also improve your overall shipping process.
The biggest benefits of using onboard shipping maintenance solutions are:
We’ve been providing on-demand shipping infrastructure for over 50 years, and we use that experience to help our customers get the most from their maritime operations.
We know that every ship is different, so we don’t offer a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, we’ll work with you to optimize your executive shipping management.
Whether you’re an FPSO vessel, ferry operator or cargo ship, we’ll draw from our wide range of equipment to find solutions that fit your needs, from simple shore power solutions to precise cooling and heating solutions that keep your environment at the perfect temperature.
And, with over 211 locations around the world, we’re always close at hand, whether you’re at port or out at sea.
Let’s take a look at a practical example of how onboard maintenance infrastructure can help you work more efficiently and keep your people safe.
An LNG tanker recently reached out to us for help with a tricky maintenance problem.
A routine maintenance check revealed a problem with the vessel’s tanker while the ship was docked in Singapore. The tanker needed urgent welding – but the tropical location meant that the temperature and humidity on board was too high to complete the task.
The ship itself didn’t have the capacity to maintain the right environment; they urgently needed a cooling partner they could rely on.
They called Aggreko, and our experts got to work devising a solution that would allow the welding to begin – and get the ship out of the dry dock as fast as possible.
We stepped in with a 2-stage cooling process:
With the environment now cooled to a perfect 29oC and a humidity level of 55%, welding could begin.
And, most importantly, the ship was back in prime condition within three days – and managed to avoid costly penalties for delays in the maintenance schedule.
Nowadays, staying afloat in any shipping-based industry means optimizing every aspect of your shipping processes – and maintenance is no exception.
That’s why onboard maintenance infrastructure is vital for almost every kind of ship. With the right solutions, you can drive huge improvements in efficiency and safety, and reduce the disruption of maintenance as much as possible.
With over 50 years of experience providing on-demand shipping infrastructure, we’ll help you figure out the best combination of solutions for your vessel.
Reach out to us to find out how you can get the most out of your maritime operation.
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