The 107th session of the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107) made further progress on the development of a non-mandatory goal-based instrument regulating the operation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) expected to be adopted by 2025.
A MASS Working Group was established to progress the work on the MASS Code and to identify issues that are relevant to instruments under the purview of the Legal and Facilitation Committee, to be considered by the Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS, which was established as a cross-cutting mechanism to address common issues identified by the regulatory scoping exercises for the use of MASS conducted by the Maritime Safety, Legal and Facilitation Committees.
The MSC noted, in particular, the common position of the Group on training, certification and competency requirements, namely that:
- When there are seafarers on a MASS, STCW applies to them.
- However, when remote operators and masters at ROC are not on board a ship, STCW does not apply to those persons, and the MASS Code will be required to address all training, certification and competency requirements with the STCW requirements should be considered as a basis.
- There are certain principles (e.g. regarding watchkeeping) in STCW, when considering autonomy and remote operation, that should be addressed in the MASS Code, irrespective of the application of STCW.
The MSC, after noting the progress made in developing the draft goal-based non-mandatory MASS Code, approved the updated road map for the further work.
The Correspondence Group was re-established to, inter alia:
- continue the development of the non-mandatory goal-based MASS Code
- consider the common potential gaps and/or themes identified during the Regulatory Scoping Exercise (RSE) (MSC.1/Circ.1638, section 5), focusing on the high priority items
- develop positions on any common issues for submission to the Joint Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS
- limit the development of the non-mandatory MASS Code to cargo ships with a view to consider the feasibility for application to passenger ships at a future stage
The Correspondence Group Coordinator will report orally to the Intersessional MASS Working Group (MASS ISWG), which will meet in October 2023.
The MASS ISWG was instructed by the Committee to continue the development of the MASS Code, taking into account the latest draft prepared by the Correspondence Group and also to:
- consider the common potential gaps and/or themes identified during the RSE
- develop positions on any common issues for submission to the Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS
- limit the development of the non-mandatory MASS Code to cargo ships with a view to consider the feasibility for application to passenger ships at a future stage
The Working Group on Goal-based New Ship Construction Standards (GBS) considered examples of functional requirements (FRs) for the MASS Code and provided some observations and recommendations for the MASS Working Group, in particular, that an appropriate hazard identification (HAZID) study should be conducted to provide the necessary tool for identifying relevant hazards, mitigating functions, and expected performances (EPs) and associated funcitonal requirements (FRs).
The Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS has developed a table – intended as a living document – to identify preferred options for addressing common issues, such as the role, responsibilities competencies required of the master and crew for MASS; and identification and meaning of term “remote operator” and their responsibilities.
The JWG is expected to have its next meeting in April 2024.
