Lloyd’s Register (LR) has granted digital twin ready approval in principle to Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) for its smart ship solution, SVESSEL CBM and S-Fugas (Samsung Fuel Gas) system.

This is the first time SHI has been awarded classification society approval for a systems engineering approach for developing artificial intelligence-enabled technology.

As part of the project, SHI generated the digital twin concept and engineering approach for the condition-based maintenance of the rotating machinery in its Smart Ship Solution, SVESSEL CBM and for the model-based engineering support and system monitoring of its LNG fuel gas supply system, S-Fugas.

As the only classification society involved in the project, LR’s role was to deliver assurance on the correctness, safety and performance of SHI’s digital twin technology. To do this, LR applied Digital Twin Ready, the first stage of its ShipRight Digital Compliance framework, to qualify SHI’s engineering, software engineering processes, development tools and subject matter experts.

LR experts led by Joseph Morelos from LR’s group technology and innovation team performed a developer capability assessment and evaluated SHI’s systems engineering approach, including its software engineering practices relevant to the development and sustainment of digital twins through-out their life cycle. This led to LR Approval in Principle being awarded.

Young-Doo Kim, LR’s North East Asia TSO manager, said: “This is a significant step in the maritime industry’s journey towards digitalisation and for Samsung Heavy Industries as digital twin technology can help shipowners and operators optimise operation costs and more importantly, improve safety. We’re very proud to have worked with SHI and award this Approval in Principle and look forward to working with them going forward as shipping looks to meet IMO 2050 targets and other challenges.”

Hyun-Jo Kim, managing director, SHI, said: “SHI believes digital twin technology shall be a key to open the gateway forward to the next level of unmanned automatically operated ships. Therefore, we’ll keep developing the technologies that has granted AiP of Digital Twin Ready for the service enabling real-time health monitoring, diagnosis and remained life-time evaluation of the main equipment of ships.”

The AiP was awarded on 20 October 2021 at Samsung Ship Model Basin in Korea, in the presence of Hyun-Jo Kim, managing director, SHI and Young-Doo Kim, North East Asia TSO manager, LR.