Two new hybrid-power, double-ended RoPAX vessels under construction at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI) in China for P&O Ferries are to be fitted with Hull Stress Monitoring Systems from Light Structures of Norway, a supplier of fibre optic condition monitoring equipment based on Fibre Bragg Grating technology (FBG).
Delivery, installation, and commissioning is expected to be completed this year, with the ferries, set to be the largest vessels to operate on the route between Dover and Calais, to enter into service in 2023.
Light Structures’ SENSFIB Global+ system will be used to monitor stress loading on the new hulls, providing real-time data to optimise maintenance windows based on real-world fatigue.
The data collected by the sensors will also be used to validate the integrity of the hull design over a sustained period, to provide information to support the development of improvements in future iterations.
“As part of our intensive lifecycle maintenance regime, the data unlocked by the SENSFIB system will help us to improve asset availability and reduce operational overheads, while maximising the lifetime of our new vessels,” said a P&O Ferries spokesperson.
