ELTORQUE
SAVING ENERGY AND FUEL WITH SMART VALVE CONTROL POWERED BY INSIDE MARINE
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PROFILE
Norwegian Eltorque AS develops and manufactures electric actuators and flow-control systems for the international shipbuilding and onshore industries. Herman Klungsøyr, EVP Strategic Sales, related the story to Phil Nicholls.
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ltorque AS was founded in 1996 to develop and manufacture actuators from a unique electric patented motor concept into electronic remote actuation of valves. After breaking into the high-end fishing vessel market in 2000, Eltorque developed a complete remote control valve system with a wide range of actuators for the ship building industry. From high-end fishing vessels and a new generation of actuators for the offshore market to commercial vessels, the company is the market leader in Northern Europe with over 1,000 projects supplying 120,000 highquality actuators. According to Herman Klungsøyr, EVP Strategic Sales, it has taken Eltorque many years to convince the conservative shipbuilding industry to leave traditional old-school actuation and move to modern electronic actuation and valve control. “The huge benefit and the revolution to the industry is the automatic shut off of power to the electric 2
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motor when the valve has reached its designated position,” he said. “A patented selflock technology – unique to Eltorque actuators – holds the valve in the designated position without using power. This is a massive power and fuel saver compared to all other actuators on the market.” Along with the most compact actuator design in the market, featuring the most advanced self-calibrating algorithms, remote torque, speed and temperature control with a self-diagnostic software to monitor the “health” of the valve, Eltorque actuators and remote valve control systems can be left alone
for decades without any issues. It will live silent within the operation of the vessel doing its job without any demand for attention. “This is a true, innovative ship equipment revolution compared to the traditional systems that are still used even on new vessels,” Mr Klungsøyr declared. Eltorque actuators and remote valve-control systems can be used for all systems on board, meaning the operator on the bridge can easily monitor and control the ballast water system, the fuel system, and the loading and unloading of fluid, cargoes, tank gauging, measure pressure and flow valve throttling, ballast water cleaning systems, exhaust cleaning, A/C systems and VA systems in general. The Eltorque motor technology is matched with built-in encoders to produce highly intelligent units with no need for maintenance, no limit-switches, and a low energy demand. If anything needs to be changed or
modified on the control unit, the motor unit can be left untouched. “This makes it super easy to do maintenance, if ever,” said Mr Klungsøyr. “In addition, the Eltorque technology enables all information connected to the system to be transferred to shore-based computers. Subsequently, all updates and system improvements can also be done from shore.” Eltorque is the market leader within the mid- and high-end vessel market built in Europe, with a turnover in 2021 of €15 million. The company consistently embarks on 50-70 new projects every year, selling an average of 10,000 precision actuators annually. Eltorque holds such a strong market position by expanding into more segments. Its actuators can be found in cruise ships, RoPax and car ferries, tankers and bulk carriers amongst others. Alongside this growth across market segments, Eltorque has seen substantial expansion internationally.
Electronic, maintenance-free actuators offer a strong product portfolio, with sales across Asia, USA and South America. The company has focused on joining the suppliers list for those European companies operating shipyards in China. “We expect strong growth in this region over coming years,” said Mr Klungsøyr. The international reach of Eltorque can be seen in the worldwide spread of offices. The company is headquartered in Trondheim in central Norway. There is a warehouse and production facility in Vanvikan across the Trondheim fjord, along with a sales and service operation in the shipbuilding town on Ulsteinvik in western Norway. Eltorque has sales offices in Leesburg in central Florida, Singapore and Bremen, Germany.
Diverse clients The range and flexibility of Eltorque actuators is represented by the diversity of the companies Mr Klungsøyr highlighted as Inside Marine
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ELTORQUE
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PROFILE
Herman Klungsøyr EVP Strategic Sales
satisfied clients. Within Norway, Eltorque supplies the VARD shipyard in Ålesund who build high-quality specialised vessels for the energy, seafood, adventure and security markets. Another Norwegian client is Aas Mek Verksted AS in Vestnes, who used Eltorque actuators in a line of wellboats transporting live fish. European customers include Lürssen in Bremen, Germany, builders of luxury yachts. Further afield is Cantiere Navale Visentini in Donada, near Venice, who build combined Ro-Ro and passenger ferries. Global projects include the Tersan Shipyard Inc in Yalova in north-west Turkey, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Marmara. Eltorque also supplies VARD’s shipyard in Vung Tau in southern Vietnam.
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A recent project which demonstrates the value of Eltorque components is the Prospero tanker built by the Wuhu Shipyard Co Ltd, the largest shipyard in Anhui Province in eastern China. This award-winning vessel design was constructed for the Swedish company Rederi AB Donsötank from the Southern Göteborg Archipelago. The Prospero features Eltorque cargo-valve actuators and ballastwater valves as part of a build philosophy aimed at future-proofing the vessel using electrical valve control over hydraulic. Mr Klungsøyr conceded that competition in the market is “increasing every year, mostly based on price.” The response of Eltorque is to focus on quality and customer satisfaction. The company works
continuously to provide product and service improvement, with the results proudly displayed on its website. Client satisfaction with delivery and technical service stands at 90%, while the total satisfaction for products and ordering are an impressive 96%. As Mr Klungsøyr said: “the customer means everything.”
Ethics and green shift Eltorque’s focus on customer satisfaction is scaffolded by the company’s robust ethics policy. This requires directors and employees to maintain a high standard of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. The company seeks to conduct business with reputable customers, consultants, and business partners involved
in lawful business activities and whose funds are derived from legitimate sources. A demonstration of these ethical trading principles is found in the Eltorque dedication to sustainability. Its actuators are one of the most energy-saving products found in the market. Mr Klungsøyr said the company’s ambition is “always to be in the lead developing sustainable products.” The company focuses on the green shift, emphasising four benefits to customers from Eltorque actuators which are sustainable, maintenance free, energyefficient and compact, with reduced weight and volume.
Onwards to trade shows The travel restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic brought changes in the daily routines at Eltorque. Primarily, response times via email and telephone intensified, while Microsoft Teams joined the toolbox. Yet, according to Mr Klungsøyr, these challenges also brought the company team closer together, finding the value in each employee. Eltorque was also in the fortunate position of having built long-standing relationships with clients. The good reputation which had brought customers to Eltorque sustained these partnerships through the
travel restrictions and other necessary measures. Production continued on-schedule and no contracts were cancelled. Eltorque employees showed themselves adaptable and the company remains in a strong position after two years without travelling. As business slowly moves into a post-pandemic world, such travel restrictions are gradually lifting. Mr Klungsøyr is eager to return to face-to-face business at trade shows like SMM. “SMM is one of the biggest and most important exhibitions for Eltorque,” he said. This trade show includes most of the maritime industry segments Eltorque supplies. Mr Klungsøyr is looking forward to networking with colleagues, partners and customers old and new. The SMM trade show will be the opportunity to present new products and solutions to the market. There is also the chance to be informed about new products on the market and any new companies in the field.
The future is electric Looking ahead, Mr Klungsøyr is confident in the future for Eltorque. “We live in a world where everything that can be electrified will be electrified,” he said. “It’s just a matter of when.” Eltorque pioneered the electrical
actuator, giving the company an advantage when the global trend is or electrification. Mr Klungsøyr sees great growth potential in the maritime market with Eltorque pursuing a vision to be globally recognised as the “best in class” supplier of valve control systems for the maritime and offshore industries. Eltorque has secured a strong position in Europe and is now looking to expand into China and establish a sales network in the United States. The unique and innovative valve control solutions manufactured by Eltorque can replace any conventional system. The company is a trusted partner for shipyards and shipowners seeking to achieve their climate-friendly goals when retrofitting or shipbuilding. Mr Klungsøyr concluded: “With our key locations around the globe, loyal partners and an efficient sales force, we would be able to take on all the projects that come along. We believe the future will be highly automated with remote operated systems – even the ship itself. Automated enabled vessels will be the future for two reasons; fuel efficiency and safety. Eltorque is well positioned for this future which is right around the corner!” n
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eltorque.com +47 748 55 520 service@eltorque.com