Client Case: Tricolore
Richard Driessen is co-owner and skipper of the Tricolore, a tanker measuring 135 meters in length and 17.55 meters in width, with a carrying capacity of 8,700 tons. The Tricolore is part of Driemaas Shipping BV and primarily operates in ARA traffic.
The collaboration with Shipping Technology started through an old acquaintance. Richard Driessen explains: “I’ve known Remco Pikaart (Founding Partner of Shipping Technology) since the time he was still sailing himself. When he started Shipping Technology, I wasn’t immediately enthusiastic; back then, I didn’t believe in autonomous sailing. At first, I thought: semi-autonomous sailing, how could that possibly work? But that’s exactly what Shipping Technology set out to focus on. Now, so many more aspects come into play, and I think it really is going to happen. You also have to move along with technology. I find technology very fascinating, but it has to remain realistic.”
He adds: “Remco is someone from the trade, and I believe those people understand it better than those who create something without knowing the craft or having any background in it. And that was the reason for me to say: we’re going with Shipping Technology.”
The Tricolore has been using the ST BRAIN for several months now, and Richard shares his experiences:
“With the ST BRAIN and the Dashboard, you get an impressive overview of all the data. It’s amazing how everything comes together. Thanks to ST’s products, we’ll soon no longer need a logbook; everything will be integrated.”
He also explains the added value of the ST BRAIN: “In emergencies, such as incidents, the ST BRAIN provides the ability to see exactly what happened. We had a minor incident and were able to analyze afterwards what had occurred. We could see everything, such as the rudder position and pilot mode. It turned out the pilot was giving incorrect signals, so the next day we immediately replaced the pilot and the problem was solved.”
Richard also uses the ST BRAIN for operational and emissions reporting: “Soon we’ll be required to demonstrate our footprint. We’re already using the reporting tools to share the values with our charterers. All it takes is the push of a button, and the data is instantly available. It’s continuously monitored. If you need the values for a specific period, you can get them right away. Even during loading and unloading, or when the vessel is idle, it automatically keeps going. I think it’s a really great system.”
Recently, the Autonomous Lane Assist (ALA) was installed on the Tricolore, in combination with the new Alphatron Pilot. Richard Driessen explains: “We are the first to have the new Alphatron Pilot. I haven’t sailed with the ALA myself yet, but our crew has, and I believe the ALA will provide me with comfort in the future. It’s not that you no longer have to pay attention, but it does give a sense of reassurance. And I think at some point it will actually navigate better than we do. The ALA is always active, while we humans can sometimes get distracted. In addition, it saves fuel and makes the vessel more efficient — those are definite advantages.”
Richard continues: “Even when sailing in poor visibility, you can focus more on the radar image and only need to check whether it’s functioning properly. We take on a supervisory role, while the ALA does the sailing for you.”
The choice for the ALA and Shipping Technology was clear to him: “The reason we chose the ALA and ST is that there’s someone behind it who truly comes from the trade. And I believe the ALA will reach autonomous sailing faster than the rest. I have more confidence in it.”