Unmanned Vessels to take over our seas?

Researchers at Norwegian Marine Technology Research Institute (MARINTEK) believe that in ten to twenty years time there will be 200 metre cargo vessels plying the oceans without the need of a
captain or crew.“But before this can happen, we will be seeing the technology working on an existing vessel,” according to Sintef, Scandinavia’s largest independent research body.

75% of accidentscaused by human error

The Sintef company MARINTEK is one of eight partners working intensely to develop systems which can function without human intervention. Both day and night watches will be taken care of by a control centre onshore, and the Norwegian researchers believe that a 3 to 4 Mbit broadband connection will ensure effective communication between the vessel and the control room.

“There aren’t many willing to believe it, but if the project partners succeed in overcoming the challenges we are currently working with, vessels such as this will in fact be safer than many of those on the high seas today”, says researcher Ørnulf Rødseth.

 “Human error, solely or in part, is the cause of more than 75 per cent of today’s vessel accidents”, he says. Lower speeds, less fuel According to Sintef, the basis of the project is that merchant shipping in Europe is suffering from the fact that fewer people are interesting in working at sea. It’s not an attractive job sitting cooped up in a vessel looking out over the empty ocean for 14 days, and with only limited contact with family and friends. At the same time, the volumes of goods being transported are increasing considerably and the freighters must be crewed. There are more than a hundred thousand merchant ships in operation around the world, and some areas, such as the English Channel, are constantly overcrowded. “Unmanned vessels, looking after themselves, may be the answer to the problem of making the maritime industry more attractive and sustainable. Such ships can reduce speeds, for example from 16 to 11 knots, and in doing so save 50 per cent of the fuel they burn today. CO2 and other emissions will be reduced and the shipping industry will make massive savings due to lower fuel consumption. Currently, fuel represents by far the largest share of operational costs. If the industry can also save on salary expenditures, it will accept that journeys may take a week or so longer than they do today,” Sintef said.