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Innovation and sustainability were in focus when we received our partner Miros in Brazil at the end of March.

 “We were very pleased with Miros’ visit at this time in Brazil. Besides meeting the new CEO, we had an intense week of customer visits. And the positive feedback from the meetings is reinforcing what we have already been seeing in recent years: a real interest in innovative technologies is increasing and companies now know they need to invest in this”, said Denis Morais, Managing Director of Belga Marine.

Miros, who has been with us for over 8 years, is an innovative company specializing in ocean surface measurements and has a positive track record of providing reliable data to companies in the maritime and offshore sectors for over 3 decades.

Miros sensors and systems provide data used by many different sectors, from government institutions to the general public as well as the private sector. Whether it is supporting the development of the growing offshore wind industry or assisting in the decarbonization of the global marine fleet, Miros works to drive safety, efficiency, and performance in a variety of marine markets through data collection.

During Miros’ stay in Brazil, we participated in several meetings with customers and other major companies in the industry. The many presentations and positive feedback led us to believe that the market is on the right path, understanding the importance of having reliable data to obtain efficient, safe, and sustainable operations.

Miros shared with us the latest discoveries and technological advances, and we had the opportunity to meet new CEO Marius Five Aarset, who was accompanied by Chief Commercial Officer, Jonas Rostad and Vice President, Andrew Wallace.

Solutions developed by Miros

The Miros OSD, a tool to support oil spill response and surveillance operations. With over 250 Miros OSD™ systems delivered to oil companies, shipowners, and coastal agencies worldwide, Miros has established itself as a global leader. In Brazil, Petrobras signed Miros in the world’s largest X-band radar-based OSD surveillance and response contract to date.

The Miros WaveSystem was specifically designed to provide highly accurate wave, current and draft data for weather-critical marine operations. Combining directional sea state measurements from Miros Wavex and motion compensated draft data from Miros RangeFinder, the WaveSystem facilitates maximum operational insight.

Miros WaveWeather provides accurate, real-time measurements of local sea state and weather conditions to any user, on any device. High-quality data on local environmental conditions are critical to successful planning, decision-making, and execution of activities. WaveWeather provides this critical view to all relevant stakeholders, on or offshore.

Wavex® is a virtual sensor designed for wave and current measurements using data from standard marine X-band radars. The sensor is operative at all ship speeds as well as from fixed locations. Additionally, Speed Through Water by Wavex accurately provides a vessel’s STW without the use of any submerged equipment.

The Miros Wave & Current Radar is a high-performance, remote, dry sensor for the measurement of directional wave spectra and surface currents. Our Wave & Current Radar is based on proven technology which has been successfully providing ocean insights to the maritime market for over 35 years.

The Miros RangeFinder is the ultimate stand-alone sensor for airgap, tide, water level, draught and wave measurements. RangeFinder is a dry, radar-based sensor, measuring with millimetre accuracy in all weather conditions. The sensor is available with motion compensation for use on floating assets, where it is the only DNV GL-certified product on the market for alpha-factor related wave monitoring. The RangeFinder is also available with Atex IEC Ex certification for use in Zone 1.

We thank Miros for visiting and for their dedication and commitment to innovation and sustainability. We are very pleased with our work together over these years and look forward to continuing the collaboration on future projects in Brazil.

To learn more about Miros’ technology, systems, and sensors, visit https://miros-group.com/ or contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br.

About the job

We are looking for a talented and motivated Service Technician with great interpersonal skills and who has good communication and organizational skills.

You will become part of a dedicated and competent team that performs repair services, commissioning, installation, and training of equipment for our Brazilian and international customers.

Based on ethics, commitment, quality and agility, your mission is to analyze complex issues, identify failures and always find the best solutions for the customer.

Activities

• Maintenance of equipment
• Receive requests and perform services for maintenance, repair, installation, inspection, etc
• Provide technical training to customers
• Participate in training in Brazil to ensure compliance
• Communicate with international suppliers regarding technical questions, request for guarantees and technical training
• Perform laboratory equipment repair
• Elaborate service reports and send for approval by the Area Manager

Requirements

• Live in Rio de Janeiro/RJ.
• Intermediary English (reading, writing, and listening)
• Complete technical training in electronics, electrical engineering, or automation
• Experience with GMDSS radio inspection
• Knowledge of NR 06, NR 10 and NR 35 standards
• Minimum 3 years of experience in the Offshore sector
• Good interpersonal skills and good communication skills
• Availability for travel

Fringe Benefits

• Transportation pass
• Meal/food tickets
• Health and dental insurance
• Life insurance
• Private pension

Salary to be agreed.

If you are interested, please apply by sending your resume to rh@belgamarine.com.br

Belga Marine reaffirms its commitment to present, represent and deliver state-of-the-art technologies to its customers, while contributing positively to the environment thanks to a product that helps eliminate pollution and keep the seas and oceans clean.

THE PROJECT

2023 is off to a good start for Belga Marine that carried out its first project together with the partner company, Ocean Visuals AS, a Norwegian company that supplies sensor systems for the early detection of oil and organics in water.

In few words, Ocean Visuals’ sensors provide real-time identification of oil category and type (crude oil, hydraulic oil, etc.) on-site, without the need for samples or laboratory analysis.

As oil is intrinsically fluorescent and emits light in the blue-green spectral range when illuminated by UV light it is easily distinguished from other substances in the water. Ocean Visual’s sensors detect and differentiate between various organic matter in the sea, such as hydrocarbons, algae, CDOM, etc.

The Ocean Visuals project in Brazil that started in 2019 was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but continued in the end of 2022, and was implemented and completed in January 2023.

“Together with the manufacturer, Belga Marine had the mission to carry out an unprecedented installation locally. Never had this type of equipment been installed in Brazil, but we are pleased that the installation was carried out successfully and that we now have a satisfied customer, and a fully operational equipment installed with the important objective to contribute to the preservation of marine environment,” says Denis Morais, General Manager of Belga Marine.

EXTENSIVE PROJECT INVOLVING MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS

Several departments from Belga Marine and Ocean Visuals were involved in this project. Initially, the project took off with our sales department and the participation of our Business Development Director, Alexandre Carvalho, and General Manager, Denis Morais, who were directly involved in the commercial negotiation with the customer, together with the CEO from Ocean Visuals, Christian Testman.

“Ocean Visuals is pleased that our customer is up and running with a state-of-the-art oil-in-water detection system which makes it possible to detect, verify, and classify types of oil in real-time. First few months of operation have progressed as planned, with clear results from operation. The customer is now building a spectrogram image database over their known oil types, which will reside inside the SEA OWL™️ sensor. This is how they will perform real-time recognition of oil type, as samples from the sea is pattern-matched against their database. Our contact with their Remote sensing team has provided valuable feedback on our service, such as development of a new sensor cooling system for tropical operating environments. We are pleased that Belga Marine represents us locally, it has been important due to geographical distance and language” says Christian Testman.

The strategic and technical meetings with the customer were our technical specialist, Vitor Bernardo and three service engineers from Oceans Visuals, who were in Brazil for installation and completion of the service.

“Being part of the very first Brazilian installation of an innovative equipment that uses advanced laser technology for oil detection is very rewarding. It’s incredible what this system can do and so important for our industry to ensure environmental preservation,” says Vitor Bernardo, Technical Specialist III in Belga Marine.

Belga Marine’s Commercial Analyst, Eduarda Schuengue and the freight forwarder, Ultramar, were of great importance and support due to their involvement in bringing the system successfully to Brazil. The process of being compliant with documentation and Custom requirements can be tiresome, especially when it’s the first time to import a laser technology equipment to Brazil. However, they managed to import the equipment directly from Estonia to Brazil and handled delivery accordingly to the customer.

“It was a challenging experience because of the bureaucracy. To bring a new laser technology to Brazil is not an easy task, but I’m pleased with our work that ensured successful import and logistics,” says Eduarda Schuengue, Commercial Analyst at Belga Marine.

UNDERSTAND THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND OCEAN VISUALS OWL™ LiDAR

OWL™ LiDAR sensor systems are used for real-time detection and classification of oil and organics such as algae in the sea. Sensor systems provide real-time data collection with best-in-class photonic sensors and contextualize air, surface, and subsea data to extract insights.

The OWL™ sensor suite can detect hydrocarbon molecules down to the part-per-million, PPM level. As far as the air and above the water’s surface are concerned, the AIR OWL™, ELF OWL™ and SEA OWL™ sensors can detect oil (hydrocarbon molecules) 3 meters deep in the water column.

OWL™ sensors use hyperspectral laser-induced fluorescence LiDAR lasers to excite hydrocarbon molecules that create a spectrum unique to that specific measurement sample. The sample can then be compared against a library of spectral samples of known oil type, allowing real-time classification of that particular oil type sample. OWL™ sensors operate in the invisible spectrum of ultraviolet light and are safe for the eyes to operate.

Even with more than 40 years in the Brazilian market and consolidated business know-how, being part of such an important project make us feel unique and proud to work with such efficiency and expertise. This project makes it possible for us to convey and guarantee that the customer can put their trust in us, and rest assure that we get the work done.

For more information about Ocean Visuals, please contact us at: service@belgamarine.com.br

In partnership with our strategic partner, M&O, and pump technology solutions provider, DESMI Inc USA, Belga Marine landed its first service job in Singapore. On this incredible journey was our experienced technician, Vitor Bernardo, with the support of his assistant, Jerri Monsores.

Our two technicians travelled for 45 days in international sea, crossing the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, to install DESMI’s OptiSave™ – Energy Saving System.

“It was my first job abroad, an incredible technical experience, which started in Singapore, an excellent, exotic and very technological place. In this service, I had the opportunity to work with people from many different countries, Indians, Ukrainians, Filipinos and Swedes. I was also able to experience a cultural exchange and get to know the cuisine and customs of the people of these countries. It was an intense exchange of experiences and activities during 49 days, which contributed to my professional knowledge, where I was able to learn about the OptiSave system. I was able to learn and know the importance of this system for fuel economy, and how to reduce the emission of pollutants. Without a doubt, it was an unforgettable and enriching experience”, says Vitor Bernardo, Technical Specialist I.

The economics of the DESMI OptiSave™ system.

The DESMI OptiSave™ solution provides a significant reduction in the vessel’s fuel consumption and reduction in the emissions footprint. It does this by monitoring and delivering the cooling demands of the rotating equipment on the vessel. This includes the ambient and sea water temperatures where-ever the vessel is operating. Through this active ‘intelligent monitoring’ management, the DESMI OptiSave™ system delivers significant energy savings with pay back inside 12 to 18 months. We’re talking about a cost-effective solution for compliance and to reduce environmental footprint.

According to DESMI, approximately, 800 OptiSave™ systems have been installed, which altogether have generated CO2 reductions corresponding to 1-million-tonnes CO2. This equals what a 16,000-hectare Rain Forest consumes a year.

With this energy saving solution, vessel owners can do their part to make the industry more sustainable, while also saving costs.

Belga Marine and the Environment.

As a maritime and offshore company, Belga Marine is concerned about environmental issues, and we seek to represent and promote solutions that are not just innovative, but also sustainable and don’t cause harm to the environment.

“Accessibility can be an obstacle to the installation of new systems, however, when the system provides a reduction in the vessel’s fuel consumption of USD 400,000 per year, our experienced technical team packs its bags, heads to Singapore and sails across the oceans to fulfill the mission”, says General Manager of Belga Marine, Denis Morais.

Energy efficiency is one of many great solutions that we can use to help lower CO2 emissions and it is how we practice sustainability in our business.

Have you thought about the dimension of the reduction of carbon emissions and the environmental impact this has for future generations?

For more information about Belga Marine’s services, please contact us via email: service@belgamarine.com.br.

Belga Marine is pleased to announce that it has signed a local service contract with Petrobras, via CENPES – Centro de Pesquisas, Desenvolvimento e Inovação Leopoldo Américo Miguez de Melloem -, in partnership with Ocean Visuals.

The contract aims to support the evaluation of the use of Hyperspectral Laser Induced Fluorescence (HLIF) technology for the characterization and quantification of oil, effluents and water quality. In this research project, Belga Marine and Ocean Visuals will support Petrobras in acquiring data for qualitative and quantitative analysis, which enables a systematic monitoring of surface water or in the water column.

The technology consists of an integrated hardware and software system for real-time detection and characterization of oil and effluents on the water surface and in the water column on board vessels.

The use of remote sensors on offshore and maritime installations has revolutionized the way in which information is acquired, allowing the detection, characterization and monitoring of hydrocarbon leaks or effluent disposal at different scales, with a high frequency of observation and quick availability of results.

“This new technology can be one of the most important steps in oil spill detection. The technology not only detects the oil, but it remotely characterizes and identifies it, and eventually leads to its origin. With this pilot project, Petrobras will be able to handle potential oil spill cases in a much more efficient way, using this state-of-the-art technology from our partner Ocean Visual and reducing the oil spill impact on the environment”, says Alexandre de Carvalho, Sales and Business Development Manager of Belga Marine.

About Ocean Visuals: 

Ocean Visuals is a Norwegian company providing sensor systems for early detection of oil and organics in water. Learn more about Ocean Visuals here: https://www.oceanvisuals.no/

As of October 6^th, 2021, Belga Marine, formerly known as Ulstein Belga Marine, becomes a part of the Inventure Group. 

Belga Marine, on this date of its 40^th Anniversary, and with the last 16 years under the name Ulstein Belga Marine, is celebrating a new chapter in its history by becoming 100% owned by Inventure Management AS, a Norwegian holding company. 

Inventure Group has a strong track record in developing companies and solutions in the Brazilian energy, offshore and maritime industries. The group is working as an active partner in several companies working throughout the value chain from sales strategy development, establishment and operational support services, R&D activities, property development and into energy production. 

Inventure has now acquired Belga Marine as a result of a continued partnership in Brazil, and with strong synergies established in the recent years. Belga Marine will strengthen the capabilities of the group particularly as a leader for maritime digitalization solutions and services. 

“Based on our knowledge and experience within automation and communications solutions, Belga Marine has moved towards digitalization and helping clients with their digital transformation. We have been able to successfully develop a world class portfolio within cybersecurity, condition monitoring and advanced oil spill detection, among other areas. Belga Marine has the know-how to be a leader in delivering reliable and efficient solutions for companies that want to be ready for the future. It’s thanks to its continuous look on the future that Belga Marine this year is celebrating 40 years anniversary, and we plan to continue with the same vision for the next 40 years,” says Jan Lomholdt, Managing Director of Belga Marine.

Belga Marine will continue as an independent company with the commitment to transform the maritime and energy industries in Brazil, providing innovative solutions. 

Furthermore, Belga Marine will remain a reliable and experienced service partner in Brazil for technical services in electronics, telecommunications and naval automation, providing certifications, maintenance and installation of equipment and systems.

Even though Belga Marine is no longer owned by Ulstein Group, Belga Marine will continue to work closely with Ulstein also going forward. 

“Ulstein Belga Marine has been a part of Ulstein for 16 years. In these years several newbuilds of Ulstein designs have been built in Brazil, supported with valuable services from the Ulstein Belga Marine team. We are pleased to see that Belga Marine will become a fully integrated part of the Inventure Group and believe that we will see great development for the company. Even if we are withdrawing as owners, the cooperation between Ulstein and Belga Marine will ensure our continued support of our customers in Brazil,” says Cathrine K. Marti, CEO of Ulstein Group. 

Belga Marine is pleased to announce that it has recently signed a service contract with a leading South American energy company for maintenance, assistance, and training for radar-based oil spill detection (OSD).

This service contract, which is valid for 3 years and includes 7 offshore platforms, consolidate Belga Marine as a trusted and high-quality service provider in the market.

With the motto “innovation is the essence of our success”, Belga Marine is constantly training and specializing its team of service technicians, and this way becoming a reference for providing the most innovative solutions for safe and efficient operations in the maritime and offshore market.

For more information about the solutions offered by Belga Marine, please contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br

Belga Marine has partnered up with Resen Waves to deliver smart power buoys to the Brazilian energy industry.

Ocean waves are a huge, largely untapped energy resource, and the potential for extracting energy from waves is immense.

Using waves as a source of renewable energy offers significant advantages over other methods of energy generation. This is a far more sustainable and reliable source of energy given that waves are abundant and widely available. Moreover, using ocean waves and other renewable energy sources enables us to become less dependent on oil prices.

Resen Waves is a Danish company, originally founded in 2010 under the mission to fight climate change and reduce its customers’ costs by means of the Resen Waves Smart Power Buoy.

The Resen Waves Smart Power Buoy is a floating mechanical device utilizing the wave movement to activate a generator and produce electric power, which turns the center drum back and forth with the wave action. The buoy powers a battery pack or docking station on the seabed through the mooring line. This power can then be fed to AUVs or other instrumentation in the sea. At the same time, the buoy can log data from connected instruments and transmit this in real-time through a fiber optic connection to onshore facilities using satellite, 3G or 4G connections.

The technology can be applied to many different markets. From oil & gas to carbon capture storage (CCS), desalination to monitoring the life in our oceans – the Resen Waves Smart Power Buoy combined with AUVs will transform the way companies operate. By deploying the buoy as the power and data communication source for an AUV, companies can cut survey times by up to 70% and reduce operational costs by over 40% at the same time.

The benefits of the ground-breaking design, technology and functionality of the Resen Waves Smart Power Buoy are many and far-reaching for companies of all sizes. Not only can the Smart Power Buoy play a key role in helping companies move towards net-zero emission goals, but it also increases the efficiencies of company operations, while safeguarding the employees.

“Ocean wave energy is not a very explored field in Brazil but considering the size of the Brazilian coastline and its maritime area, the potential for generating ocean wave energy here is undeniable. With this new partnership, UBM helps to bring yet another sustainable solution to the market and to the energy transition, which is already happening in Brazil. As for the oil & gas industry, the benefits of the technology provided by Resen Waves are numerous and will surely innovate offshore operations.”, says Alexandre de Carvalho, Sales & Business Development Manager at Ulstein Belga Marine. 

For more information about Resen Waves, please contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br

Belga Marine has partnered up with Alerion to deliver drone inspection solutions to the Brazilian energy industry.

With the need for more sustainable energy solutions and the arise of new technologies that are not harmful to the environment, Belga Marine has decided to enter a new business area, which seeks to deliver UAV inspection services to the wind energy sector in Brazil. This is a strategic decision that benefits the business and the environment.

Our new partner, Alerion performs drone inspections of wind turbine generators (WTG) and solar farms in a fast, safe and cost-efficient manner.

Alerion was originally founded to bring space navigation technology to drones through the European Space Agency’s Technology Transfer Program, and since 2016 the company has been offering automated end-to-end industrial inspection solutions to the energy industry with its patented high-precision navigation technology.

With a strong focus on technology development, nature is still Alerion’s inspiration and driving force. Alerion’s mission is to bring the two together by developing solutions that preserve the environment and shape tomorrow’s world, where technology and nature not only coexist, but benefit from one another.

According to ABEeolica, the Brazilian Wind Energy Association, wind energy is currently the second largest source in the Brazilian energy matrix and the installed capacity will grow 50% in 2024, jumping from today’s 16GW to 24GW. Furthermore, Brazil is expected to become the first Latin American country to receive offshore wind power investments. This proves that the energy transition is taking place and that we will see a new wind power scenario in the future.

“Replacing traditional sources of energy completely with renewable energy is going to be a challenging task, however, we must prepare for the future and take part in the energy transition, which is already happening. Belga Marine is already transforming the traditional energy industry with our digital solutions that are making operations safer and more sustainable, so it is a natural step to move the business towards renewables as well”, says Jan Lomholdt, CEO of Ulstein Belga Marine.

For more information about Alerion, please contact us at service@belgamarine.com.br

Ocean Visuals’ unique OWL™ LiDAR sensor system gathers data from the air, from the water surface, and from below the surface using photonics sensors to provide real-time detection and classification of oil and organics in the sea.

Tremendous strides have been made in preventing oil spills. Yet in 2017, approximately 7 000 metric tons of oil was lost to the environment from tank vessels alone.

Oil typically submerges in water two to four hours after an oil spill occurs. This makes it hard to detect the oil for clean up.

Morever, traditional radar and camera technologies cannot be used for subsea detection because they are not capable of “seeing” below the water surface.

Innovative Laser-based System

With the help of the SEA OWL™ laser-based sensor system, Ocean Visuals can detect and classify in real-time the type of oil (crude oil, hydraulic oil, bunker oil, etc.) in the water, without the need for samples or lab analysis.

The system is very accurate because it uses Hyperspectral Laser Induced Fluorescence (HLIF)-based Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). The LiDAR detects oil by sensing direct light response induced by a laser beam hitting oil molecules in the water, thereby preventing false alarms.

The system can detect submerged oil down to depths of three metres and measure the thickness of oil on water. Moreover, it can measure sensitivity in parts per million (ppm), making it suitable for post-cleaning control in an oil spill area.

Concrete Benefits

The SEA OWL™ system provides valuable data on real-time levels of hydrocarbon and organic matter in the sea and offers real-time oil classification capabilities.

The system enables the collection of information that was previously unavailable due to lack of daylight or submerged oil. This helps to provide a complete and accurate picture in oil spill situations.

Market Potential

There is a growing global demand for detailed and accurate environmental data. Such data can be used in the effort to tackle climate change and for better decision-making, for example in crisis situations.

The SEA OWL™ system generates this type of sought-after data.

Ocean Visuals’ target markets are oil companies, environmental agencies, aquaculture companies, government monitoring agencies and scientific research institutions.

The SEA OWL™ system is also particularly well suited for use by oil companies and other stakeholders in the Arctic, as it can detect oil between ice floes and in ice slush as well as camouflaged oil. In Norway, the system has already been implemented on board cruise ships, seismic vessels and icebreakers.

Learn more about Ocean Visuals.