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Wärtsilä sea trials with PSA Marine for “IntelliTug” a success

Project is aimed at developing and field-testing intelligent vessel capabilities, enabling autonomous navigation towards more efficient harbour tug operations.

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Wartsila PSA Marine

Maritime technology group Wärtsilä on Friday (13 March) said it has successfully completed initial sea trials for the “IntelliTug” project together with Singapore-based harbour and terminal towage operator PSA Marine. 

The project is a collaboration between technology provider Wärtsilä, marine services provider PSA Marine, classification society Lloyd’s Register, the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine Singapore (TCOMS), and co-funded by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) Maritime Innovation and Technology (MINT) Fund.

For this operation, the PSA Polaris, a harbour tug owned and operated by PSA Marine, has been retrofitted with a suite of Wärtsilä technology to enable autonomous navigation. 

The trials commenced in September 2019 in Singapore, where they verified the IntelliTug’s capability to avoid a variety of obstacles, including virtual and real-life moving vessels.

These trials are Singapore’s first for commercial Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) using the MPA MASS regulatory sandbox, which has been established to facilitate the testing of MASS and other autonomous technologies in a safe and controlled environment within the Port of Singapore.

This would enable technology developers, the research community, and maritime stakeholders to capture future MASS-related opportunities.

“It is critical that we prepare the Port of Singapore for MASS. With MPA’s MASS regulatory sandbox, I am glad that Singapore can contribute to the sea trials and eventual adoption of MASS.” said Captain M Segar, Assistant Chief Executive (Operations) of MPA.

“We will be happy to share our MASS experience with other ports and coastal administrations.”

The PSA Polaris is a 27-metre harbour tug with dual azimuth thruster controls that has been fitted with a sensor suite, including Wärtsilä’s RS24 near-field high resolution radar and Wärtsilä’s Dynamic Positioning (DP) system, to enable autonomous capabilities. 

Data collection via the sensors has been ongoing since the start of the project in conjunction with the development of a collision avoidance algorithm.

The project is aimed at developing and field-testing intelligent vessel capabilities and viable pathways towards smarter, safer, and more efficient ways of operating a harbour tug. 

This is achieved through the provision of human-centric technology, design-thinking, and man–machine collaboration.

“PSA Marine is constantly innovating to redefine the capabilities of our tugs. The achievement seen in the IntelliTug project is a testament that with strong partnership, alignment of purpose and the courage to innovate, ideas can be turned into reality,”  said Peter Chew, Managing Director of PSA Marine.

“With the incorporation of feedback and experience from our tug masters, the smart technology developed in the IntelliTug project augments our tug masters’ situational awareness and amplifies their capabilities.”

Before sea trials commenced, system integration and digital testing began with the use of Wärtsilä’s autonomous ship simulator. 

Lloyd’s Register has been closely involved throughout the project to support the development of the trials’ safety case, while collaborating on the human factors and technology design processes.

“Wärtsilä has taken a rigorous, staggered approach to the sea trials, first to prove the fundamental safety and accuracy capabilities of the system, and then moving on to real obstacle-free path planning,” says Thomas Brightwell, SACA Software Manager, Wärtsila.

“It has further progressed to more complicated test cases, previously attempted in digital batch testing and digital first-person simulation.”

“The design of the test cases was a collaborative effort involving Tug Masters and a Master Mariner, with close review and continuous refinement with MPA throughout the project.” 

During the sea trials, a new smart navigation system – which was developed during the project in cooperation with PSA Marine’s Tug Masters – was used to select destinations for the hundreds of test cases carried out. 

The system allows the user to easily see the routes plotted, with the avoidance of collisions, in real-time. 

The smart navigation system also sends track and speed commands to the DP system, which drives the vessel along the route safely at varying speeds up to 10 knots. 

These manoeuvres are expected to follow set behaviours and meet success criteria to reach the destination.

At all times, the PSA Marine Tug Masters were able to determine if the tests were safe to continue and had full control to abort testing at any time where required.

“Wärtsilä continues to lead the marine industry’s transformation into a new era of digitisation and decarbonisation – achieving greater efficiency, improved safety, and better environmental performance through its Smart Marine approach,” says Mervin Ong, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Singapore.

“The IntelliTug project provides a clear picture of the potential that this approach can unlock, to the ultimate benefit of owners and operators everywhere.” 


Photo credit: Wärtsilä

Published: 16 March, 2020

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LNG Bunkering

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, the company said Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes.

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Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

British oil giant Shell on Thursday (13 August) said Valencia has joined its growing network of bunkering locations, making LNG available as a marine fuel.

The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marked an important milestone for Spain and further strengthened Shell’s LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean. 

In a video shared by the company, bunkering vessel Alice Consulich was shown supplying an undisclosed volume of LNG to the container ship MSC Sabrina.

“As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes,” Shell said in a social media post. 

Shell said the achievement reflected the strong collaboration across the maritime value chain, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia and Fratelli Cosulich Group.

“We look forward to making more LNG bunker deliveries in Valencia and across the Mediterranean as LNG infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand,” the company said. 

 

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 14 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Énestas and Power LNG join forces on Galveston bunkering

Énestas will provide capital, LNG transport and storage equipment, and downstream expertise to support Power LNG’s planned liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

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Stabilis Solutions enter 10-year LNG bunkering supply deal for Port of Galveston

Power LNG (Power LNG) and Mexico’s LNG infrastructure and downstream natural gas company Énestas on Wednesday (12 August) announced the execution of definitive agreements establishing a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of LNG infrastructure at the Port of Galveston.

Under the agreement, Énestas will provide capital, LNG transportation and storage equipment, and downstream operating expertise to support the development of the Harborside Terminal and Project Seawolf, Power LNG’s planned LNG liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

The partnership creates an immediate pathway to begin LNG distribution by truck while Project Seawolf is under development, supporting marine fueling, virtual pipeline customers, industrial users, and LNG exports throughout the Gulf Coast, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Our vision has always been to establish Galveston as the premier LNG hub for the Gulf Coast,” said Austin Terry, Founder and CEO of Power LNG. 

“Énestas brings years of operational experience, proven LNG infrastructure, and a talented team that understands how to deliver LNG safely and efficiently. Together, we can immediately begin serving customers while laying the foundation for one of the most strategic LNG bunkering facilities in North America.”

Project Seawolf will provide LNG for marine bunkering, truck loading, virtual pipeline distribution, and international exports. The facility is strategically located at the Port of Galveston, serving one of the fastest-growing cruise, cargo, and energy corridors in the United States.

For Énestas, the transaction represented an important milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“This partnership represents a natural evolution for Énestas as we expand our downstream LNG business into the United States,” said Caio Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Énestas. 

“For more than a decade, Énestas has developed and operated LNG infrastructure throughout Mexico, helping customers transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Partnering with Power LNG allows us to leverage that experience in one of the most attractive LNG markets in North America. We see tremendous opportunities in marine bunkering, virtual pipeline logistics, industrial LNG supply, and exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are excited to build that future together.”

The companies expect the partnership to support near-term LNG truck loading operations while advancing the long-term development of Project Seawolf, which is designed to become a regional hub for LNG production, marine fueling, and distribution.

The collaboration also establishes a platform to pursue additional downstream LNG opportunities throughout the Gulf Coast, utilising Énestas’ operational expertise together with Power LNG’s project development capabilities.

 

Photo credit: Port of Galveston
Published: 14 August, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Company says the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

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Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Clean energy production solutions provider Stabilis Solutions (Stabilis) on Thursday (13 August) said it has completed 97 LNG bunkering operations and delivered more than 150,000 m³ of LNG to customers in the Port of Galveston.

“As the only physical supplier of LNG on the Gulf Coast to reach this milestone, we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted, proven operator — both with local Galveston stakeholders and with the world’s largest cruise operator,” the company said in a social media post.

“That trust is reflected in the 10-year LNG offtake agreement we executed in December 2025.”

The company said the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston. 

“As a Houston-based company, we believe in the Texas economy and the future growth of the Port of Galveston,” it added.

“That belief is why we’ve invested heavily over the past four years in the planning, permitting, and engineering design work to develop the most advanced, derisked, shovel-ready small-scale LNG liquefaction project on the Gulf Coast.”

Manifold Times previously reported Stabilis stating that the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is anticipated to be in production by the third quarter of 2028.

It will come complete with the delivery of the first new-build, dedicated Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge in the Galveston/Houston area.

This comes following Stabilis receiving a Letter of Recommendation from the US Coast Guard following their formal review of the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility and associated waterfront LNG loading, marine transportation, and LNG bunkering operations in the Port of Galveston.

Related: Stabilis Solutions targets Q3 2028 launch for Galveston LNG bunkering facility
Related: Stabilis Solutions terminates 10-year LNG supply deal, expects delay in Galveston project

 

Photo credit: Stabilis Solutions
Published: 14 August, 2026

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