Autonomy and robotics have been buzzwords in shipping for years, but where are we in 2023? At a recent webinar, we asked experts from different parts of the industry to give us the latest news on technology, potential, and regulations.

Jon Nordgaard from Massterly, who are operators of autonomous and remote-controlled vessels, started by stating that autonomy is not a goal itself, but a tool for achieving other goals.

– Most importantly it can reduce costs, but it can also enable green technology on vessels. We believe unmanned, autonomous control rooms will match well with poisonous gas such as ammonia, for example. There are also other new fuels with high danger potential, such as hydrogen. We also believe autonomy to be a good match with battery-powered vessels, as they demand less maintenance than MGO-powered ships, Nordgaard said.

He added that autonomy could make shipping safer, as it will both reduce the consequences of an accident and the risk of accidents happening. Massterly is undoubtedly a pioneer in autonomous shipping, with several projects on the go.  Yara Birkeland, the world’s first fully electric and autonomous container vessel with zero emissions, which they launched in 2021, is now sailing with two navigators and a chief engineer. By next year it will sail completely autonomously.

Sky’s the limit

Zeabuz is tackling a different segment by introducing waterborne urban mobility solutions through autonomy-as-a-service offered to mobility and ferry operators. Last September Zeabuz had a trial period on the world’s first autonomous urban passenger ferry in Trondheim, and this May a newly built, autonomous passenger ferry will embark on its maiden voyage in Stockholm.

– Now we’re piloting in Stockholm to start with. The goal is to roll out thousands of systems like this, but there are a few challenges to overcome. Technology readiness for scalability, public trust, and integration with other mobility modes and regulatory readiness, their CTO, Øyvind Smogeli said.

Question of timing

As for regulatory readiness, Smogeli pointed out that regulations cannot be set before we know how to use the technology, which Nils Haktor Bua, who’s heading the Norwegian Maritime Authority’s (NMA) section for New maritime technology, agreed with when he took the stage.

– This is a very important point. If we are too early with detailed regulations, I’m afraid we will be forced to take a too conservative line, which can make the projects too expensive, or be an obstacle for further innovation, Bua said. Today the certification process of autonomous vessels follows the approval of alternative designs process, but Bua pointed out that there is development on the regulatory side, even internationally, where IMO has started working on the so-called MASS Code, a regulatory framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships.

Complex integration

As a well-known product developer and integrator of automation systems, Seam is involved in several project pushing the boundaries of autonomous solutions on vessels. Product developer Svein David Medhaug confirms that integration of new, autonomous technology comes with a long line of both advantages and challenges.

– System integration is very complex. It’s important to break things down and solve issues one by one, segment by segment, instead of thinking of the end product as a whole, Medhaug said. He also pointed out that testing and experience are key to overcoming other obstacles connected with autonomy, such as skepticism from the public.

Pushing technology forwards

An organization known for pushing the boundaries of technology by setting demands in their ferry contracts, is Statens Vegvesen, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

– We have seen that changes happen faster than before, Anders Sæternes who is head of the ferry division, said. They were drivers for enforcing LNG to the market, the batteries and hydrogen, and now autonomy is the next in line. Last year they launched a development contract for a new ferry, where autonomy is an important part of the call.

– We will look into the options of autonomy on ferries, as this may improve the ferry services without adding costs, Sæternes explained. The winner of the project contract will be announced this autumn.

 

Maritime CleanTech hosts several Tech Updates a year, covering differnt aspects of new technology which will bring shipping into a more sustainable future. Sign up for our newsletter to receive information on coming events.