Efforts to advance ship automation are ongoing, aiming to develop large commercial vessels capable of fully autonomous operation, including independent decision-making for navigation. On November 27, South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai marked a significant milestone, receiving an Approval in Principle from both the Korean Registry of Shipping (KR) and the Liberia State Flag Bureau (LISC).
HD Hyundai successfully demonstrated autonomous operation integrated with remote control on an 8,000 TEU containership. This achievement is a crucial step toward commercializing third-stage automation, as defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), where ships are remotely controlled without crew onboard, with operations managed from another location.
The IMO has established four levels of automation, with the highest level being fully autonomous vessels. At this stage, the ship’s system would make decisions and take actions independently. Previous tests have already proven the first two stages: providing decision support for the crew and enabling remote operation with crew still aboard.
In the latest demonstration, Hyundai successfully transferred remote control of the vessel between two operation centers, similar to air traffic control for aircraft, ensuring continuous remote operation over long distances. The control of the containership was shifted from Hyundai’s Digital Control Center in Ulsan to its Digital Convergence Center in Seongnam-si.
The company acknowledged challenges in remote operations, such as potential communication delays or unforeseen situations during navigation, as well as the risk of cyber threats. The demonstration combined autonomous navigation capabilities with remote control technology, considering factors like the ship’s operating environment, remote steering, and speed control.
“With this certification, we have laid a solid foundation for the commercialization of autonomous navigation and remote control technologies,” stated an official from HD Hyundai. “We aim to drive international standardization in autonomous operation technology and shape the future of the shipping industry.”
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, along with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, continues to support these testing efforts and is fostering an environment for technology development. Hyundai also participates in a “regulatory sandbox project,” where it has received approval for these demonstrations while global regulations for autonomous operations are still being finalized.
Autonomous navigation and remote control technologies are key areas South Korea is focusing on to strengthen its competitive edge in next-generation shipping.