Operational reliability
Our ambitions: Brunvoll will ensure the highest quality, energy efficiency, security and environmental reliability in our products and services. We will be known for delivering products that secure little to no risk of environmental pollution or cyber security breach.
Our achievements in 2023
- ISO27001 certification – Cyber Security
- Contract to provide Auto-Crossing technology for new Fjord1 ferries
Quality and long-term perspectives
We have designed and manufactured maritime equipment since 1912. Our products are designed with durable and reliable operation as one of the main objectives. With proper use, service and maintenance, our thrusters and propulsion equipment will outlive the lifetime of the vessel. Utilising well-built equipment for the complete lifetime of a vessel will have a lower impact on the environment and the overall operational cost as opposed to a strategy for maintenance by replacement.
Since 1965, we have built and installed around 12 200 high quality thruster and propulsion systems in some 6 100 vessels of which the vast majority are still in daily operation.
– Vessel superintendent, Norway
Energy-efficient products and services
We continuously invest considerable time and resources in developing new and more energy-efficient products. This includes novel propeller and thruster solutions, control and monitoring systems, drive systems and autonomous systems. Our R&D departments accumulated 75 000 hours in 2023, and a large proportion of our new-sales revenue is realised through the offering of products and services developed during the last five years. Many thrusters and propulsion systems already in operation are also upgraded with state-of-the-art technology which extends the lifetime of the vessels and contributes positively to energy savings and reduction in GHG emissions.
All Brunvoll thrusters and propulsion systems are delivered with the Brunvoll control system, BruCon. In-house production of both the thrusters and propulsion systems along with the control system has helped us develop robust, smart and energy efficient ways of operating a vessel with today’s technology.
Part of our business model is the aftermarket, where service and maintenance is offered on-site at yards across the globe, requiring us to travel. To reduce the carbon footprint of travel, we rely on digital tools and a global presence through local service stations in strategic areas. Today, we are represented with local service stations in 40 countries, and we have developed a Condition Monitoring System (CMS) enabling remote diagnostics and support. The CMS also allows for further condition-based maintenance instead of the traditional preventive maintenance model. 205 of our units were equipped with CMS at the end of 2023, which is an increase of 38 units from the previous year.
As the normalisation of the pandemic has made travelling easier, we see a rise in our business and service travels from 2021 to 2023. Service travel has increased because of increased revenue in this segment. Business travel was artificially low in the pandemic years, but we are continuously working on decreasing our emissions from business travel. Meetings in Microsoft Teams have replaced a lot of travel, but we have also increased both our number of employees and our total revenue. These factors also impact our emissions from travel.
.svg)
Product pollution
Today, most thrusters and propulsion systems from Brunvoll are prepared to operate on Environmentally Acceptable Lubricants (EALs). Conversion into EAL operation is also available on systems in service, allowing the vessels to be VGP (Vessel General Permit) compliant without replacing their thrusters and propulsion systems. In 2023, 60 of our units were upgraded to run with EALs.
Cyber security
As various products and functions in a vessel are more and more interconnected, cyber security is one of our top concerns. We follow the recommendations from Center of Internet Security (CIS) and National Cyber Security Center (NSM), and are now certified according to ISO 27001. No cyber security breaches were reported in 2023.
Performance indicators 2023
Brunvoll obtains ISO/IEC 27001 certification
The green transition contributes to increased digitalisation, increasing the risk of digital security breaches. In addition, more and more products and functions in a vessel are interconnected and online. This means we must have a robust cyber security foundation for our products and customers’ sake. Digital risks must be discovered, identified, and understood.
Getting our ISO/IEC 27001 certification in 2023 is one of the ways we have increased the digital security of our organization. This is an international standard published by ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and developed by leading experts on information security. More than 20.000 companies across the globe have achieved this certification, and it is one of the fastest-growing standards in the world. Brunvoll worked on our accreditation for a year, and the certification process was overseen and finalized by KIWA, a European institution for Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC).
This certification aims to maintain confidentiality, system integrity and accessibility. Across the Brunvoll Group, there are about 540 PCs, 140 servers and 290 cellphones, all adding to a complex network that stretches across locations, databases, file formats, systems, and suppliers. Being able to administer all of this safely and securely is paramount.
There are several benefits of being certified according to SO/IEC 27001. By being certified, we ensure that we comply with legal, statutory, regulatory, and contractual obligations related to information security. It also means that we can prove to our customers that we take cyber security very seriously and that the data they entrust us with is safe. The certification shows that we have robust security practices and thus improve customer relations and customer retention. Brunvoll’s values are reliable, committed, and responsible, and we now have even more proof that we live and work by these values.
Brunvoll to provide Auto-Crossing technology for new Fjord1 ferries
Tersan Shipyard chose Brunvoll Azimuth Propulsion Thrusters and Auto-Crossing for two new Fjord1 hybrid ferries. The sister ferries are designed by HAV Design and will operate routes between Stranda – Liabygda and Eidsdal – Linge, in Norway.
They will be equipped with a BruCon control and automation system with operator stations, Auto-Crossing and Condition Monitoring System. The BruCon Auto-Crossing system ensures energy-optimised operation with route- and speed control, while the BruCon Condition Monitoring System provides in-depth monitoring of the system and data logging for analysis and optimisation. In other words, this enables autonomous operation of the ferry.
Our Auto-Crossing panel was developed at the Brunvoll location in Dalen, Telemark. It is physically small, which makes it installation-friendly and easy to use. The system reads the vessel’s GPS, gyroscope and wind sensor and exchanges information with the propulsion thrusters.
It works as an autopilot that also controls the ship’s thrusters and steers by a speed profile. In combination, this cuts emissions and leads to even acceleration and breaking. The client can draw and select routes on the chart plotters, and the system will plan a suitable crossing within the client’s parameters. The system supports both single crossings and round-trip routes. In addition, both the planned and selected path are visualised on the chart along with estimated time of arrival.
“Brunvoll has invested significantly into developing autonomous solutions in the later years, and we are very excited about these two new vessels”, says Frode Bloch, EVP Engineering Control & Electrical.”
Auto-crossing technology is environmentally friendly because it gives the vessel a smoother and more even operation. Its route becomes more predictable, and you can repeat the same route several times. You can easily compare the effect of choosing different routes, and the ferry moves in the same way regardless of what crew is currently at work.
“We believe that to fully energy-optimise, vessel operation, autonomy and data logging are critical functions. Thus, we look forward to further developing this with Fjord1 on two local ferry routes.” Bloch adds.
The auto-crossing system also provides an emergency stop function that performs a controlled braking and leaves the ferry at fixed position, even in rough seas and high waves, in a station-keeping mode.
The ferries are designed for battery propulsion, with fast charging from shore during landing. They are also arranged with a diesel-electric backup system, and they can operate in battery mode, hybrid mode and diesel-electric mode. It will be a process when the systems are in operation to see which settings and modes of operation give the best effect.
Bernt Rune Riksfjord, VP Sales at Brunvoll, is very satisfied that Brunvoll once again is the preferred partner for a new ferry project.
“This once again confirms our position as a preferred partner for modern eco-friendly ferries. Brunvoll’s azimuth propulsion thrusters designed for high operational efficiency and low energy consumption, together with our in-house hydrodynamics capabilities, enables us to provide units highly optimised for these vessels “, says Riksfjord.
