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IMPA seeks remote pilotage manufacturers
An association representing maritime pilots worldwide is searching for manufacturers and system integrators to support studies into adopting remote ship pilotage
Manufacturers and system integrators are being asked to participate in remote pilotage trials in Canada.
The International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) is partnering with the Canadian National Centre of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage and the Canadian Coast Guard to rigorously explore the technical and operational feasibility of remote pilotage. This international study was launched Q3 2024 to deliver unbiased, science-based and authoritative insights into vessel pilotage in various marine environments.
Partners in the project will consider remote pilotage as a socio-technical system and as well as assessing the risks, impacts, benefits, opportunities and prerequisites, they will focus on the impact on safe navigation practices.
They now want to conduct trials over the next two years in three different ways to ensure a safe, thorough, yet scalable process for exploring remote pilotage in mandatory pilotage waters.
The first series of trials will be undertaken in a simulated environment, starting in Q3 2025, where solutions will be trialled on shore to assess their technical performance, and whether they can achieve the functional requirements for directing ship navigation.
A second series of trials will take place in 2026 on board a Canadian Coast Guard vessel, which is not subjected to mandatory pilotage requirements, but would operate in pilotage waters. In these trials, partners want to validate the technical and functional performance established in the simulated environment.
On completion, a third and final series of trials in 2027 are expected to be conducted in a near real-life environment, on board commercial ships operating in mandatory pilotage waters.
IMPA and its partners expect this phase will generate the insights into the readiness, risks, impacts, benefits, opportunities and prerequisites of remote pilotage.
“Manufacturers and system integrators are invited to demonstrate how their solutions to remote piloting meet the needs of the end-users - the maritime pilots,” said executive director of the National Center of Expertise on Maritime Pilotage, Alain Arseneault.
“We want to see solutions that can help us safely find the limits of what might be possible. We are committed to ensure every proposal will receive a complete, fair, and transparent assessment.”
Interested manufacturers and system integrators have until 31 December 2024 to submit their proposals for participation in the study.
Established in 1970, IMPA represents pilots’ organisations in over 50 countries and is a professional community of more than 8,000 maritime pilots.
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