Everllence Confirms Success of Ethanol Four-Stroke Engine Test

Everllence confirmed the successful running on ethanol – at all load points – of its 21/31 dual-fuel engine at test facilities in Frederikshavn, Denmark. Everllence pioneered the platform of two-stroke methanol-burning engines over a decade ago with the first commercial engine entering service in 2016. Building on this experience, Everllence became the first company to launch a small-bore, four-stroke, methanol-burning GenSet in 2024 – the 21/31DF-M (Dual-Fuel Methanol) unit – with several already in commercial operation. Building further on the 21/31 platform, the operation on ethanol provides Everllence with a fully operational engine with which to document ethanol’s capabilities as fuel.

AI-Based System Suppresses Shipboard Oil Fires Autonomously

A next-generation fire suppression system capable of autonomously detecting oil fires aboard naval vessels and precisely targeting and extinguishing them even in maritime environments has been developed by researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM). The system uses AI to independently determine the authenticity of a fire, activating only when an actual fire occurs. It concentrates its discharge solely on the fire source, much like a firefighter extinguishing flames.

Its key feature is the ability to autonomously detect oil fires caused by equipment or aircraft leaks in engine rooms, hangars, decks, etc., and accurately target and extinguish the fire source even under complex environmental conditions such as sea waves and ship motion.

The developed system consists of fire detection sensors, fire monitors, and an analysis and control unit equipped with AI-based fire authenticity determination and location estimation capabilities. The system maintains a fire detection accuracy of over 98%, with a foam discharge range reaching approximately 24 meters. It has also been verified to operate stably even in sea states of 3 or higher.

AI Cameras for Fire Detection @ Sea

Consilium Safety Group and Hyundai Heavy Industries signed an agreement to explore the use of AI-powered cameras in certified fire alarm systems on ships, a system that centers on Hyundai’s HiCAMS technology, which uses cameras to identify smoke and flames. A pilot test is already underway on the test vessel Sawasdee Sunrise in Korea, where HiCAMS has been connected to Consilium’s Safety Management Interface Graphics (SMiG), focusing initially on smoke and flame detection, and the container shipping sector is a natural first adopter. While Consilium’s established Temperature Monitoring System (TMS) tracks heat build-up in containers stored below deck, the HiCAMS technology will monitor cargo stacked above deck for the first signs of smoke.

The next step for the partnership is to enter a dialogue with the classification society to obtain an Approval in Principle (AIP).

Wayfinder Voyage Simulator

Sofar Ocean launched Wayfinder Voyage Simulator, a first-of-its-kind voyage planning tool and part of Sofar’s broader Wayfinder Platform. It is designed to allow operators, commercial teams, and chartering desks to instantly generate and evaluate unlimited voyage scenarios, with each scenario based on Sofar’s marine weather forecasts, vessel-specific performance models that update daily based on actual operations and the latest market conditions, such as daily hire rates and fuel costs.

Wayfinder Voyage Simulator seeks to transform voyage planning from multiple hours of spreadsheet guesswork into just seconds of intelligent analysis, via a straightforward process:

• Select a vessel

• Upload a route or choose ports

• Adjust inputs (e.g. departure time, RPM, RTA, etc.)

• Create a simulation to evaluate arrival time and real-time voyage economics — time, fuel, emissions, cost, etc.

• Repeat and compare — create unlimited simulations across voyages and vessels