Telenor Maritime - Experts & Thought Leaders

As a rarity among Norway’s top business pioneers, Morten Fon has spent his entire 36-year career with one company, taking various positions and overseas assignments before being tapped as Jotun’s President and CEO in 2005. Since then, the Norwegian company has experienced almost uninterrupted growth to become one of the fastest growing suppliers in the global paints and coatings industry. “It’s been a remarkable journey,” says Fon. “In addition to a fantastic organisation, Jotun benefits from the continuity of our owners, the Gleditsch family, who have allowed us the freedom to think in years, not quarters,” he says. “This has helped us succeed in the highly cyclical shipping industry.” Deep roots in shipping Fon and the senior management team work hand in hand with Jotun’s Board of Directors Fon and the senior management team work hand in hand with Jotun’s Board of Directors, led by Chairman Odd Gleditsch d.y. He is the grandson of Odd Gleditsch sen., who established the company in 1926. “Today, we sell decorative paints and protective and powder coatings to a broad range of customers, but our roots are in the shipping industry,” says Fon. “In fact, we opened our Group headquarters and R&D centre here in Sandefjord in 2020 on the same piece of land as our first factory, which was built across the fjord from a shipyard. That shipyard closed in 1986, but we are still here.” A global organisation With close to 11,000 employees representing 93 different nationalities active in more than 100 countries worldwide, Jotun is a truly global organisation. Fon credits the company’s historic ties to the Norwegian shipping cluster for the company’s international success. “Shipping is a global industry, so it’s no accident that about half of our global network of 40 factories, many of which have been in operation for decades, were built near ports and shipyards. Today, we supply marine coatings to about a quarter of the world’s merchant fleet and deliver to about 1,400 ports, all over the world.” A history of innovation Jotun’s long-term investments in R&D have also helped the company differentiate itself from the competition Jotun’s long-term investments in R&D have also helped the company differentiate itself from the competition. “Jotun’s focus on innovation is part of our DNA, enabling us to develop several game-changing products over the years,” says Fon.  “In addition to a network of regional R&D centres, supported by local laboratories and various test sites, we collaborate with owners, shipyards, and other stakeholders to meet or anticipate the evolving needs of the industry.” ”This process has not only led to innovations that have changed how the industry sees marine coatings, but how we see our offering.” Jotun’s Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) Jotun’s Hull Performance Solutions (HPS) is one such innovation. Launched in 2010, HPS gives owners and operators access to Jotun’s best antifouling technologies, unmatchable technical service, intelligent hull condition management and credible performance guarantees. “I remember thinking at the time that if we succeed with HPS we would change the industry,” says Fon. “It took a lot of work, but today, HPS is recognised as the industry’s most effective antifouling solution, providing owners and ship managers with the ability not only to lower fuel costs and corresponding emissions, but document their results.” From supplier to partner With more than 2000 applications to date, HPS has proven a commercial success With more than 2000 applications to date, HPS has proven a commercial success. But HPS also changed Jotun. “Thanks to HPS, we were able to gather data on hull performance taken from ships in operation, and as more customers signed up to HPS, we were able to collect the industry’s most complete historical dataset on hull efficiency,” Fon says. “This allowed us to develop fouling risk algorithms and performance analytics tools to create a suite of digital services to help customers improve hull performance.” Pressure to improve environmental performance Fon adds that as the industry faces growing pressure from cargo owners and regulators to improve its environmental performance, customers are increasingly recognising the vital role antifoulings play in reducing emissions. “Thanks to HPS, we learned that we have a lot more to offer the shipping industry than steel protection,” he says. “Put another way, they don’t want paint, they want clean hulls.” Hull skating solutions This shift in thinking would produce Jotun’s most daring innovation yet: Hull Skating Solutions This shift in thinking would produce Jotun’s most daring innovation yet: Hull Skating Solutions (HSS.) Developed in a partnership Kongsberg Maritime, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, Semcon, Telenor and DNV, HSS takes hull protection to the next level. HSS consists of five components: A high-performance antifouling coating (SeaQuantum Skate), proactive condition monitoring, high-end technical service and performance guarantees. But what makes HSS unusual is an advanced underwater robotic cleaning unit, the Jotun HullSkater.  Industry’s first remotely operated robotic device “Jotun HullSkater is the industry’s first remotely operated robotic device that has been purposely designed for proactive hull cleaning,” he says. “By removing slime and fouling before organisms have time to firmly attach to the hull, the Hull Skater not only helps ship-owners to reduce fuel costs and corresponding emissions, it helps vessels stay in compliance with increasingly strict local and global regulations designed to protect marine ecosystems from invasive aquatic species.” Introducing disruptive technology Jotun’s legacy of innovation has given the organisation the confidence to make bold decisions Fon acknowledges that a remotely controlled robotic hull cleaning unit may seem an unusual investment for a paints and coatings company. But he insists that Jotun’s legacy of innovation has given the organisation the confidence to make bold decisions. “We recognise that the Hull Skater is a disruptive technology. However, if we hadn’t done this, someone else would have,” he says.  Early success So far, Jotun’s investment in Hull Skating Solutions is paying off. Now in use on about 30 vessels, the concept has exceeded expectations. “Our customers already understand the benefits of a clean hull, but with growing concerns about ocean pollution and the threat of invasive species, we believe that proactive hull cleaning will allow owners to ‘future proof’ their vessels against pending regulations,” says Fon. “Jotun HullSkater may be the most innovative antifouling system available to the market today, but our focus on supporting our customers hasn’t changed in almost a century. And to me, that is something to celebrate!”

Intellian is pleased to reveal that two of its industry-pioneer antenna systems, the v60Ka 2 and v100NX Ka, have gained type approval from Telenor Satellite for use on their THOR 7 Ka-band GEO satellite network. This means that the systems are now officially certified to take their place in service alongside Intellian’s v85NX, the first 85cm antenna to receive type approval on the network. The Intellian v100NX Ka delivers market-pioneer RF performance and is future-proofed with a specially-tuned radome and reflector in anticipation of forthcoming 2.5GHz wideband Ka network services. Flexible, compact, and affordable The v100NX Ka supports multi-orbit operation and can be simply converted between Ka and Ku bands Like all NX Series antennas, the v100NX Ka supports multi-orbit operation and can be simply converted between Ka and Ku bands, allowing owners of existing v100NX Ku-band antennas to easily switch to the THOR 7 network if desired. An optional 10W BUC upgrade provides a straightforward means of further boosting the antenna’s performance. The compact, affordable, 65cm v60Ka 2 weighs only 39kg and is based upon the same platform as Intellian’s NX Series antennas. Available in both 5W and high-power 10W BUC configurations for high-bandwidth users, the v60Ka 2 offers best-in-class RF performance to provide incomparable data rates for this antenna size. Easy installation and remote diagnosis The Below Deck Units (BDUs) for both antenna systems have the THOR 7 modem built in and feature embedded mediators, enabling easy configuration of a dual-antenna setup to avoid potential interference from a vessel’s superstructure. Shipped pre-slung and with dome-on connection via a single coaxial cable, which combines Tx, Rx and DC power, the antennas can be installed swiftly, with the process further simplified by a step-by-step commissioning wizard integrated within the AptusNX management and control platform. Easily accessible via a web interface, AptusNX also enables remote diagnosis to be carried out and issues timely predictive maintenance alerts. Speedy repairs These attributes all contribute to considerable savings in both time and expenditure The antennas use Intellian’s standardised modular components, which speed up repairs and lower spare part stock requirements for service providers by up to 40%. These attributes all contribute to considerable savings in both time and expenditure, thereby lowering the total cost of ownership. Active since 2015, the THOR 7 HTS Ka-band mobility VSAT service provides full satellite coverage for key pan-European shipping routes throughout the Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Red Sea, Norwegian Sea, Baltic Sea, Barents Sea, and Persian Gulf, deploying up to 25 highly-focused, simultaneously active spot beams for seamless handover. Telenor’s Director on the partnership “It’s a pleasure to be able to expand our service provision options with Intellian’s v60Ka 2 and v100NX Ka systems,” says Jan Hetland, Director, Data Services, Telenor Satellite. “The Intellian v85NX has proven itself to be a popular, powerful, reliable, and cost-effective choice since it gained type approval in May this year, and it’s rewarding to consolidate our working relationship with a company whose reputation for high-quality technology and drive to innovate correlates so closely with our own.” Words from Intellian’s VP “We’re very proud to have another endorsement of our products with this certification from Telenor Satellite,” says Jon Harrison, Intellian VP & GM Strategic Accounts and EMEA BU. “The company’s type approval for the v60Ka 2 and v100NX Ka marks another positive step in our mutual quest to provide the best-performing, most flexible maritime mobility VSAT service in Europe at the most competitive price.”

Kongsberg Maritime is to begin a trial of Eutelsat OneWeb’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service on an autonomous barge operation across the Oslo Fjord. In a collaborative project with the help of Norwegian telecommunications provider Telenor Maritime, a zero-emission, electric barge, owned and operated by grocery distributor ASKO, will be equipped with Eutelsat OneWeb’s latest Kymeta Peregrine u8 flat panel antenna system for the duration of the trial. LEO connectivity and bandwidth The integration of the Eutelsat OneWeb antenna system on the vessel will enable Kongsberg Maritime to experience LEO connectivity and bandwidth for real-time data transfer, ship-to-shore communication, and remote and autonomous vessel control. The ASKO barge, which is battery-powered, is one of a pair delivered in 2022. They have been operating extensive trials since then, transporting up to 16 trailers of cargo on each journey across the Oslo Fjord. This innovative operation reduces road travel by two million kilometres and cuts carbon emissions by 5000 tons annually. Remote and autonomous technologies During the latest trials, the barge will be remotely controlled from a Remote Operations Centre in Horten During the latest trials, the barge will be remotely controlled from a Remote Operations Centre (ROC), located in Horten. The ROC is operated by Massterly, a Kongsberg Maritime and Wilhelmsen joint venture company. Pål André Eriksen, Senior Vice President of remote & Autonomous solutions, at Kongsberg Maritime, said, “Through the successful demonstrations of our remote and autonomous technologies on several ground-breaking pilot projects, including the ASKO barges, Kongsberg Maritime has already proved that remote and autonomous technologies apply to different vessel types." Seamless connectivity challenge “Seamless connectivity remains one of the key challenges for remote and autonomous operations, particularly in the open oceans. Overcoming the challenges of global connectivity and available bandwidth will unlock great potential for the deployment of such technologies in the future, and we look forward to working with Eutelsat OneWeb and Telenor Maritime to see how this project can advance the development of autonomous shipping solutions further." “We’re grateful to ASKO for allowing us to install OneWeb’s latest antenna technology on one of their vessels, which will provide a realistic operating environment to comprehensively demonstrate the low latency, high throughput capabilities of Eutelsat OneWeb’s low Earth orbit satellite service.” High-speed low Earth orbit connectivity Alexandra Kenworthy, Director of Maritime & Energy, Eutelsat OneWeb, said, “Our work with Telenor Maritime and Kongsberg Maritime plays a key role in demonstrating the new, enhanced, and secure capabilities that high-speed low Earth orbit connectivity brings to maritime operators all over the world." Both of the ASKO vessels, also known as sea drones, have a permanent bridge for manual operation "This trial is a great example of shared vision; and Eutelsat OneWeb’s collaboration with trusted partners like Telenor Maritime and Kongsberg will continue, as we drive digital transformation across the maritime industry. There is huge demand for resilient low-latency connectivity that will enhance business-critical operations as well as improve crew communications, for their customers everywhere.” Global connectivity standards Knut Fjellheim, CTIO, Telenor Maritime said, “This project is incredibly important for the future of autonomous vessels, not only in local fjords and rivers but also in open ocean waters. I am genuinely excited about developing connectivity solutions that will set standards for global connectivity for autonomous vessels. With OneWeb's LEO coverage and our advanced connectivity platform, we're on the cusp of achieving 100% uptime for ship connectivity. It's thrilling to be at the forefront of such cutting-edge innovation.” Both of the ASKO vessels, also known as sea drones, have a permanent bridge for manual operation, and can also be controlled from the ROC in Horten. However, once the autonomous concept is proven the bridge will be omitted in future builds.