The Norwegian vessel will transport containers without crew

There is a great deal of interest among the world’s shipping companies in carrying out transport without crew. Among other things, Mitsubishi has tested what the company claims is the world’s first autonomous system for large ships.

Last year, the Norwegian container ship Yara Birkeland completed its maiden voyage. With GPS, radar, cameras and other sensors, the electric boat can navigate autonomously. However, the transports are monitored via land-based control rooms.

Yara Birkeland will soon be joined by DB Schenker’s autonomous container vessel, which is a collaboration with Norway’s largest furniture manufacturer Ekornes. The boat is developed from the ground up by domestic companies: Naval Dynamics and Kongsberg Maritime. The autonomous technology is provided by their joint venture Massterly, whose remote control center will monitor and possibly steer the ship from shore. It writes Electrive.

An electric feeder ship – still without a name

The as yet unnamed vessel is an electric feeder vessel, which takes cargo from smaller ports to central container terminals. In this case, the ship will be 50 meters long with a capacity to take a cargo of 300 tons.

At present, no details are mentioned about the technology for monitoring the outside world, or about the driveline. The hope is, however, that from 2024 the ship will go without crew from Ikornnes to the port of Ålesund, which is a central hub for goods. At 7.7 knots, the distance of 43 km, just over 23 nautical miles, is expected to be harvested in less than three hours.

– This project is a milestone that means that we can achieve our goals for sustainability, by using the most innovative technology available. With autonomous, electrically powered container feeders, we can significantly reduce our total carbon footprint. We will also have greater control and flexibility in our logistics, says Roger Lunde, CEO of Ekornes, in a statement.