Subscribe to our Mailing Lists (It's free!)
Friday, July 11, 2025
SAFETY4SEA
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    IMO piracy

    IMO Piracy Report: Twenty five incidents during May 2025

    Dryad Global

    Dryad Global: Geopolitical tensions continue to shape maritime landscape

    ireland drug seizure

    Ireland’s largest drug smuggling plot leads to eight men in jail

    limpet mines tankers

    Greek tanker fleet boosts security amid limpet mine fears

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    BIMCO FuelEU Maritime Regulation

    EU issues low-carbon hydrogen fuel standards

    clean air act

    California updates ballast rules for water from low salinity areas

    biofuels

    India’s DGS issues biofuel bunkering guidelines

    biofuel

    Companies sign deal to advance crude lignin oil biofuel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    floating data centres

    New partnership to develop floating data center on retrofitted vessel

    connectivity

    Innovating ocean safety: Intellian’s unified vision for connectivity and GMDSS

    autonomous navigation

    New deal aims to advance autonomous navigation technology

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

    USCG

    ABS PSC Report Q1 2025: 526 total vessels detained

    paris mou lists

    Paris MoU 2024 Performance lists

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal reports increase in transits despite dry season

    UNCTAD

    UNCTAD: Global trade endures policy changes and uncertainty

    Eternity C

    Watch: Eternity C sinks in the Red Sea following Houthi attack

    newbuildings xclusiv shipbrokers

    Xclusiv Shipbrokers: Newbuilding momentum slows sharply in 2025

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Safety
    • All
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
    IMO piracy

    IMO Piracy Report: Twenty five incidents during May 2025

    Dryad Global

    Dryad Global: Geopolitical tensions continue to shape maritime landscape

    ireland drug seizure

    Ireland’s largest drug smuggling plot leads to eight men in jail

    limpet mines tankers

    Greek tanker fleet boosts security amid limpet mine fears

  • SEAFiT
    • All
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
    friendship

    Exploring the human need for friendship: A lifeline at sea and on shore

    neck pain

    Neck pain: A growing health concern for maritime workers

    Book Review: Building leaders the MMMA way

    Book Review: Feel grounded and think positive in 10 simple steps

    time

    Stay SEAFiT: Time is non-renewable – invest it wisely

  • Green
    • All
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
    BIMCO FuelEU Maritime Regulation

    EU issues low-carbon hydrogen fuel standards

    clean air act

    California updates ballast rules for water from low salinity areas

    biofuels

    India’s DGS issues biofuel bunkering guidelines

    biofuel

    Companies sign deal to advance crude lignin oil biofuel

  • Smart
    • All
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    Trafigura, ZeroNorth join forces to advance decarbonization solutions

    floating data centres

    New partnership to develop floating data center on retrofitted vessel

    connectivity

    Innovating ocean safety: Intellian’s unified vision for connectivity and GMDSS

    autonomous navigation

    New deal aims to advance autonomous navigation technology

  • Risk
    • All
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
    AMSA fine

    NorthStandard: Tips to avoid pollution fines in Turkey

    OCIMF

    OCIMF Annual Report 2025: SIRE 2.0 a welcome change for the industry

    USCG

    ABS PSC Report Q1 2025: 526 total vessels detained

    paris mou lists

    Paris MoU 2024 Performance lists

  • Others
    • All
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
    Panama Canal

    Panama Canal reports increase in transits despite dry season

    UNCTAD

    UNCTAD: Global trade endures policy changes and uncertainty

    Eternity C

    Watch: Eternity C sinks in the Red Sea following Houthi attack

    newbuildings xclusiv shipbrokers

    Xclusiv Shipbrokers: Newbuilding momentum slows sharply in 2025

  • Columns
    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    Career Paths: Syb ten Cate Hoedemaker, Maritime Battery Forum

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    NorthStandard: Data sharing to drive technology and improve crew wellbeing

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    GSR Services: The Hong Kong Convention sets the rules for total ship lifecycle responsibility

    Trending Tags

    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • Events
  • Plus
No Result
View All Result
SAFETY4SEA

Remote ship operations paving the way for autonomous shipping

by The Editorial Team
September 5, 2022
in E-navigation, Maritime Knowledge
Remote ship operations
FacebookTwitterEmailLinkedin

In June the unmanned Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts, becoming the largest uncrewed vessel to complete the trans-Atlantic crossing and marking a milestone in the development of autonomous technologies. This is the latest example of several ambitious maritime projects underway on remote control as a prelude to autonomous shipping. What does the future hold for ship autonomy?

Automation for shipping has been traditionally linked to innovation, in a bid to address not only operating costs linked to crew manning, but also human error and maritime incidents linked to human error. A great example of how e-Navigation helped enhance maritime safety is ECDIS which revolutionized operations by enabling continuous monitoring of the ship’s position. Another example is the establishment of ship operation centers by cruise major Carnival in the aftermath of the Costa Concordia disaster, in a bid to enhance ships’ oversight. But what does the “autonomous ship” entail and to what extent is it integrated into shipping operations?

The IMO has identified four degrees of ship autonomy:

RelatedNews

IACS reports progress on decarbonisation & digital transformation

Ports get €22 million grant for digital and electrification solutions

  • Degree one: Ship with automated processes and decision support: Seafarers are onboard to operate and control shipboard systems and functions. Some operations may be automated and at times be unsupervised but with seafarers onboard ready to take control.
  • Degree two: Remotely controlled ship with seafarers onboard: The ship is controlled and operated from another location. Seafarers are available onboard to take control and to operate the shipboard systems and functions.
  • Degree three: Remotely controlled ship without seafarers onboard: The ship is controlled and operated from another location. There are no seafarers onboard.
  • Degree four: Fully autonomous ship: The operating system of the ship is able to make decisions and determine actions by itself.

Remote ship operations: Latest developments

In 2017, the Svitzer Hermod, the world’s first remotely operated commercial vessel was demonstrated in Copenhagen harbour, Denmark, as part of a cooperation between Rolls-Royce and global towage operator Svitzer. From the quay side in Copenhagen harbour, the vessel’s captain, stationed at a Remote Operating Centre (ROC) at Svitzer headquarters, berthed the vessel alongside the quay, undocked, turned 360°, and piloted it to the Svitzer HQ, before docking again. The Centre was designed to redefine the way in which vessels were controlled. Instead of copying existing wheelhouse design, the ROC used input from experienced captains to place the different system components in the optimum place to give the Master confidence and control. The aim was to create a future-proof standard for the control of vessels remotely. Continuing this project, Svitzer A/S, Kongsberg Maritime and ABS teamed up last year to jointly develop RECOTUG, the world’s first fully operational, and fully remotely controlled tugboat.

At the same year, a team from Wärtsilä Dynamic Positioning remotely controlled a platform supply vessel in the North Sea using a standard satellite link from its office in California. The team used a DP system to send the platform on a ‘box manoeuvre’, 20m in four directions. Then, they used a combination of DP and joystick control to carry out a series of other maneuvers, testing control of surge, sway and yaw, before steering the vessel for a couple of miles of its journey back to Aberdeen. In both cases, a crew was on standby onboard, but they didn’t need to act.

But the most recent ambitious automation project was the fully autonomous Mayflower, meant to sail in a 12-day voyage through the Atlantic as part of a project led by marine research organization ProMare in cooperation with IBM. The ship is equipped with six AI-powered cameras, 30 onboard sensors and 15 edge devices, sending data from the voyage back to the team onshore via satellite connections.

In May, the Mayflower developed an issue with the charging circuit for the generator starter batteries while its voyage across the Atlantic without any humans onboard and had to divert to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This was the second mechanical failure for Mayflower, as earlier in April the ship broke down while sailing from Plymouth, UK, to Washington DC. The ship eventually completed the voyage on 30 June. The year 2022 is also when Yara Birkeland, the world’s first carbon-free autonomous container vessel, will be put into operation.

The way forward for remote ship operations

The issue of fully autonomous ships has attracted a long debate across shipping, with several projects implemented recently to integrate them into commercial operations. However, the slow regulatory framework will likely not allow autonomous ships to mature and be integrated into maritime operations for at least another 10 years, experts seem to agree. Even if we are technology-wise there, we won’t be there regulation-wise, as regulation needs to be harmonized all over the world.

Nevertheless, remote control of ships is growingly becoming a reality. The Mayflower demonstrates how projects involving remote control as a prelude to autonomous ship operation are making headlines worldwide. Remote control technology is increasingly seen as a game changer for moving some crew onshore, rather than developing a completely unmanned ship. Most importantly, remote control is seen as a game changer for increasing safety, with Fleet Operation Centers (FOCs) being on the rise to monitor all aspects of navigational safety.

Remote ship operations paving the way for autonomous shippingRemote ship operations paving the way for autonomous shipping
Remote ship operations paving the way for autonomous shippingRemote ship operations paving the way for autonomous shipping
Tags: automationautonomous shipsdigitalization
Previous Post

US Judge dismissed “Conception’s” Captain indictment

Next Post

Lessons learned: Establish proper safe work procedures

SUGGESTED FOR YOU

floating data centres
Smart

New partnership to develop floating data center on retrofitted vessel

July 7, 2025
estonia
Shipping

EST Flag: Offering a digital and sustainable business model

July 7, 2025
autonomous navigation
Maritime Software

New deal aims to advance autonomous navigation technology

July 2, 2025
CHIRP
Safety

CHIRP: Annual Digest of Reports and Insight Articles 2024

July 1, 2025
cosco dual-fuel
Green Shipping

COSCO takes deliver of breakthrough dual-fuel container ship

June 25, 2025
world's first ammonia
Fuels

Companies issue world’s first ammonia-to-ship digital fuel certificate

June 25, 2025

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Explore more

No Result
View All Result
MARITIME EVENTS

Explore

  • Safety
  • SEAFiT
  • Green
  • Smart
  • Risk
  • Others
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

Useful Links

  • About
  • Disclaimer
  • Editorial Policies
  • Advertising
  • Content Marketing
  • Contact

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA

Manage your privacy
We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. We do this to improve browsing experience and to show (non-) personalized ads. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • Safety
    • Accidents
    • Alerts
    • Loss Prevention
    • Maritime Health
    • Regulation
    • Safety
    • Seafarers
    • Security
  • SEAFiT
    • Intellectual
    • Mental
    • Physical
    • Social
    • Spiritual
  • Green
    • Arctic
    • Ballast
    • Emissions
    • Fuels
    • Green Shipping
    • Pollution
    • Ship Recycling
    • Technology
  • Smart
    • Connectivity
    • Cyber Security
    • E-navigation
    • Energy Efficiency
    • Maritime Software
    • Smart
  • Risk
    • CIC
    • Detentions
    • Fines
    • PSC Case Studies
    • PSC Focus
    • Vetting
  • Others
    • Diversity in shipping
    • Maritime Knowledge
    • Offshore
    • Ports
    • Shipping
    • Sustainability
    • Videos
  • Columns
    • Anchor Your Health
    • Book Review
    • Career Paths
    • Human Performance
    • Industry Voices
    • Interviews
    • Maripedia
    • Maritime History
    • Opinions
    • Regulatory Update
    • Resilience
    • Seafarers Stories
    • SeaSense
    • Tip of the day
    • Training & Development
    • Wellness Corner
    • Wellness Tips
  • SAFETY4SEA Events
  • SAFETY4SEA Plus Subscription

© 2025 SAFETY4SEA