Keppel Smit Towage and Keppel Offshore & Marine (O&M) have achieved an industry-first in autonomous vessels and remote command
Together, they have received the first autonomous and remote-control navigation notations from classification society ABS and the Maritime Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore.
Maju 510 tug is the world’s first vessel to receive these notations from ABS and was the first tug in south Asia to be remotely operated from shore by joystick control, after two phases of autonomous and remote-control testing and demonstration in Singapore in 2021.
Maju 510 confirmed the capability of autonomous vessel navigation and collision detection and avoidance during months of pilot testing.
Keppel O&M was the systems integrator for the autonomous solutions. It set up the shore command centre and retrofitted Maju 510 with advanced systems to generate digital situational awareness and high-accuracy positioning and manoeuvring through its technology arm, Keppel Marine and Deepwater Technology (KMDTech).
This harbour tug was outfitted with ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision and Marine Pilot Control, which uses artificial intelligence to automate navigational observations. These fuse data from different sources, complete risk assessments, make decisions and control the vessel.
Maju 510 was also outfitted with technologies KMDTech developed in partnership with MPA and the Technology Centre for Offshore and Marine, Singapore, such as a digital twin which simulates vessel behaviour in multiple scenarios.
Following the completion of the autonomous tug project, Keppel O&M and Keppel Smit Towage aim to collaborate with MPA to test varying degrees of autonomous operations.
These are expected to include: interaction and collaborative operations among autonomous vessels, tests in live traffic, remotely supervised autonomous operation with improved port connectivity, and pushing and towing operations.
“Autonomous and remote operations enhance the efficiency and safety of tug operations by adding value with additional traffic and situational operational information,” said Keppel Smit Towage managing director Romi Kaushal.
“This allows the tug captain and crew to focus on the more crucial tasks of safe tugging operations. We look forward to working with MPA and Keppel O&M to test and deploy more of the tug’s autonomous capabilities.”
Maju 510 is a 2011-built, 32-m tug with bollard pull of 65 tonnes, operating under the Singapore flag. It has received the Smart (Autonomous) Notation under the Singapore Registry of Ships.
MPA chief executive Quah Ley Hoon expects to continue “collaboration with industry partners to advance the deployment of autonomous vessels in the Port of Singapore.”
She said Singapore has set up a regulatory sandbox for maritime autonomous surface ships to develop and demonstrate smart navigation capabilities.
Keppel O&M plans to continue developments after demonstrating the first autonomous tug, said chief executive Chris Ong. “Autonomous vessels and technologies have immense potential to transform the nature of maritime operations. With indepth engineering expertise and extensive retrofitting experience, Keppel O&M is able to customise autonomous solutions for a range of vessels.”
This includes digitalising onboard systems and processes, modifying the vessel, integrating technologies and enhancing systems connectivity.
Keppel Smit Towage and Maju Maritime are being sold by co-shareholders Boskalis and Keppel’s KS Investments to Rimorchiatori Mediterranei a subsidiary of Italy-headquartered Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group.
The remote-control feature uses the ultra-low latency 4.5 G network connectivity of M1, another member of the Keppel Group, to establish standards and data transfer links in terms of latency and reliability for the ship-to-shore communications, and support mission-critical internet-of-things maritime applications.
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