Strong tug newbuilding demand drives delivery solutions

“Our core strength lies in our employees’ ability and adaptability to manage complex, time-sensitive maritime projects,” says Mr Cooley.

This is demonstrated on challenging voyages and tug deliveries, especially if vessels are not designed for long journeys. “This requires high safety standards and adaptability,” Mr Cooley continues.

“A recent example involved a beleaguered tugboat that required emergency relocation from a northern port in Western Australia to Fremantle. IMS hand-picked a competent crew within 24 hours, ensuring all safety measures were met and the vessel departed in a timely manner.”

The crew completed the relatively short five-day, 1,000 nm voyage to Fremantle, arranging tugs to assist the vessel’s safe berthing at the Australian Marine complex in Henderson. 

“This swift, well-executed operation, despite the state of the tugboat, showcased our ability to respond to complex challenges and keep operations running smoothly for major clients,” Mr Cooley adds.

Culture and training

“At the core of our business remains a deep focus on both the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation of our customers, people and organisation. We are driven by a clear purpose and seek to achieve this while treating our people, customers and the environment with sensitivity and respect,” he continues. 

“Ultimately, we aim for a steady foundation of deliveries, taken care of by a happy and healthy team that embraces a culture worthy of celebration, all underpinned by a zero-harm approach to everything we do.”

To achieve this, seafarer training, keeping ahead of regulations and access to a competent workforce are essential. “We are always encountering challenges that strengthen our business and operations,” says Mr Cooley. “We remain vigilant in keeping ahead of the increasing regulatory compliance around safety and operational efficiencies and we tap into the best marine workforce available for the uniqueness of our operations. The strength of the master as a leader is paramount.”

He is convinced having the right professional culture is important for executing projects effectively and implementing the company’s strategy, while “ensuring crew members are highly trained and motivated by implementing rigorous recruitment, training and management practices.”

IMS carefully selects its crew members, pairing captains and engineers with teams that have undergone a thorough induction into the IMS programme and supports them through a positive company culture.

“This approach fosters loyalty and cohesion, ensuring each team is well-prepared and motivated to deliver on every project,” says Mr Cooley. “Additionally, IMS emphasises a zero-harm approach, reinforcing the importance of safety and well-being, which keeps the crew engaged and focused on delivering high-quality services.”

IMS is also dedicated to sustainability, reducing its carbon footprint, the use of single-use plastics and fostering strong governance, while maintaining a broad network of services to react quickly to requests and execute complex projects with minimal environmental impact. “This makes us a key player in ensuring the sustainability and reliability of maritime assets.”

Mr Cooley says IMS is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on SDG 3 covering good health and wellbeing, SDG 13 for climate action, and SDG 14 covering marine and waterway life. 

“We manage our environmental impact by offsetting all Scope 1 and 2 emissions from our Fremantle headquarters through Western Australia-based Everclime, contributing to projects such as the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor and Kalbarri Sea Kelp Forest restoration.” To reduce waste, IMS partners with Fridgy, providing reusable bottles for crew, saving 22,500 plastic bottles from landfill annually.

Communications and autonomy

Digitalisation and connectivity are important for IMS to provide seafarers with the tools and support required on long cross-ocean voyages. “One of our major innovations has been our early adoption of Starlink technology, enabling us to communicate the progress of voyages back to our customers and IMS headquarters in real time,” says Mr Cooley.

Starlink is Elon Musk’s SpaceX low Earth orbit constellation of communications satellites that provide connectivity across most oceans and seas, except where it is not licensed to do so, such as in the Middle East, India and China.

“This advanced level of data collection and communication provides our clients with unmatched visibility, enhancing decision-making and ensuring smooth voyage management,” he continues. “These technical advancements have contributed to improved operational sustainability by streamlining communications and reducing manual errors.”

IMS recently supported a vessel autonomy programme, with trials of an autonomous vessel, in collaboration with Greenroom Robotics. Over seven days, IMS managed the project, involving simulations of target avoidance scenarios of the Western Australian coast. 

“This required resourcefulness from the IMS crew to test the vessel’s sophisticated autonomous technologies,” says Mr Cooley. “The trial was a success, providing our customer with the rationale to scale the technology with the Australian Defence Force. IMS’s crew ensured the safety of the vessel, delivering peace of mind for the regulator and port authorities, given the high scrutiny placed on the first-of-class vessel.”

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