ABS has announced the award of the SMART (MHM) notation to a GasLog LNG carrier, marking the commercial vessel as the first to receive the notation in combination with the ABS Preventative Maintenance Program (PMP).
The SMART (MHM) notation, governed by the ABS Guide for Smart Functions for Marine Vessels and Offshore Units, confirms that a vessel has a permanently installed system capable of machinery health monitoring (MHM). The notation validates that the system monitors the health and operational conditions of onboard machinery, detects anomalies and helps predict degradation or improper operation that could lead to functional failure.
The project was developed in collaboration with Propulsion Analytics, whose technology supports the vessel’s onboard machinery health monitoring capabilities.
Patrick Ryan, ABS SVP and CTO, said: “This achievement represents a pioneering step in the application of smart technology and advanced analytics to gas carrier operations. By meeting ABS requirements for the SMART (MHM) notation, GasLog is demonstrating that machinery health monitoring at this level can deliver meaningful operational benefits including enhanced predictive maintenance capability and improved machinery reliability.”
Lampros Nikolopoulos, GasLog Asset Integrity Manager., added: “This industry-first marks the near completion of the fleetwide transition to SMART (MHM) notation under our lifecycle maintenance strategy. Our Class-Approved engine condition-based maintenance schemes are built on a tailor-made platform developed by Propulsion Analytics, combining their advanced thermodynamic digital twins built on high-frequency data telemetry from Kongsberg Vessel Insight. The system further integrates lubrication, chemical, live vibration, and planned maintenance system data to deliver a truly holistic CBM architecture. ABS played a pivotal role in the design implementation of the platform through its comprehensive rules framework and technical guidance. Apart from intelligent interventions on engine components, the scheme optimises overhaul intervals, total cost of ownership, operational flexibility, and fleet CO₂e performance for all engines of our fleet.”
Panos Kyrtatos, CEO Propulsion Analytics, said: “This milestone reflects a four-year journey of close collaboration with GasLog to bring engine condition-based maintenance (CBM) from concept to class-approved reality onboard LNG carriers. Together, we have developed and deployed the DiEM platform – a robust machinery health monitoring solution. DiEM combines Propulsion Analytics’ Engine Hyper Cube solution, which has received an ABS SMART PDA, with complementary condition assessment methods. The result is earlier detection of engine degradation, reduced unnecessary maintenance, and measurable savings in spare parts and service costs, while significantly improving machinery reliability and performance. We are proud to support GasLog in leading the industry toward more predictive, data-driven operations.”
The SMART (MHM) notation is part of ABS’ broader smart functions framework, which encompasses a range of optional class notations recognizing vessels equipped with permanently installed systems for functions such as machinery health monitoring, condition-based maintenance and other digitally enabled capabilities.
Image: Left to right: Lampros Nikolopoulos, GasLog; Angelos Minakis, ABS; and Panos Kyrtatos, Propulsion Analytics (source: ABS)
