Week 5 – Phase 3 Changes in the Shipbuilding Industry

In the future years, we would like to see the following advancements in the shipbuilding/maritime industry.

Shipbuilding Robotics: Shipbuilding industry is recognizing robotics as a driver of efficiency along with a method to prevent workers from doing dangerous tasks such as welding. The shortage of skilled labour is also one of the reasons to look upon robotics. Robots can carry out welding, blasting, painting, heavy lifting and other tasks in shipyards. This can help achieve a higher production rate.

LNG Fueled engines: Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is becoming popular as an alternate fuel for ships because of its environmental friendliness. That is why, the market of LNG fueled ship engines is emerging and its prospects are high as well. In the LNG engines, CO2 emission is reduced by 20-25% as compared to diesel engines, NOX emissions are cut by almost 92%, while SOX and particulates emissions are almost completely eliminated. LNG is also cheaper than diesel, which helps the ship to save significant amount of money over time

Solar & Wind Powered Ships: Though exclusive solar or wind powered ships look commercially and practically not viable today, they can’t be ruled out of future use with more technical advancements. Recently, many technologies have come which support the big ships to reduce fuel consumption by utilizing solar panels or rigid sails.