Reducing the risk of container losses

Container losses at sea are not only a financial risk for the shipping industry, but also a serious threat to the oceans and the safety of other ships. According to estimates by the World Shipping Council (WSC), almost 7,000 containers have been lost in the past three years alone. A major factor here is the unfavourable rolling motion that occurs with ever larger ships.

ConTAD is an innovative research project that addresses the problem of lost containers. As part of the project, the medium-sized companies Socratec Telematic GmbH and Brehmer GmbH & Co. KG, with Jade University of Applied Sciences, are developing a tracking unit that can automatically recognise a container accident by means of status recognition. Maritime Cluster Northern Germany (MCN) is supporting the project, which came about via the GreenShipping Competence Centre Lower Saxony.

Similar to how a smart watch tracks movements, the tracking unit is designed to recognise a “container overboard” situation and warn shipping in good time. This enables vessels to take appropriate action to prevent the loss of further containers and avoid collisions with drifting containers.

A particularly innovative idea is that the tracking units are able to form a mobile ad-hoc network to share resources and extend their operating time in emergency situations. This networking makes it easier to locate and recover lost containers, especially those with hazardous goods inside. The ConTAD project promises not only a reduction in container losses at sea, but also more sustainable and safer shipping.

to the ConTAD-project site

Contact

Are you looking for someone to contact about developing smart and green grant projects? Then please contact Dr. Susanne Neumann or Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Denker, who represent the GreenShipping Competence Centre Lower Saxony in the Maritime Cluster Northern Germany.

Dr. Susanne Neumann, Maritimes Cluster Norddeutschland, Lower Saxony office
+49 4404 98786-15, susanne.neumann@maritimes-cluster.de

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Denker, Jade University of Applied Sciences
christian.denker@jade-hs.de