What are Autonomous Ships?

Autonomous Ships: How AI and Automation Are Revolutionizing the Future of Maritime Transportation. A beginners guide to Autonomous Ships!

The wider shipping industry is moving towards the Net Zero GHG targets set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Decarbonization and sustainability are the two large driving factors behind the design of ships. While we continue to hear that 80% of the maritime incidents are directly or indirectly associated with human error, replacing the humans (seafarers) onboard by Automation or AI seems to be a very logical argument in that context. However, is it really possible, ever? The elimination of the human element might significantly reduce the possibility of human error but it will also create a lot of other risks.

The MASS industry is estimated to be a multi-billion-dollar industry in the near future. Even though most of the developments are still either at research stage or small-scale trial projects, the full-scale deployment stage is still many years away. On 18 November 2021, the “world’s first electric and self-propelled container ship” Yara Birkeland completed its long-awaited maiden voyage from Horten to Oslo. According to Yara, it will cut 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions and will replace the need for 40,000 trips by diesel-powered trucks that were previously used to transport fertilizer.

Given the lack of clear understanding of this topic and the fact that no definitive legislation exists as of today, it is worthwhile to invest in creating a guide for Autonomous ships!

The IMO is working on creating a MASS code which intends to address the issues surrounding the various legal and technical aspects of autonomous ships. While it is currently at the draft stage with the proposed Chapter to be added to SOLAS, the timeline is “By 1 July 2030 - adoption of the mandatory Code, for entry into force on 1 Jan 2032”

Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS)

According to the IMO, "Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS)" refers to a ship which, to a varying degree, can operate independent of human interaction. Degrees of automation have been distinguished as follows:

• Degree 1: Ship with automated processes and decision support: Seafarers are on board to operate and control shipboard systems and functions. Some operations may be automated and at times be unsupervised but with seafarers on board ready to take control.

  
  

• Degree 2: Remotely controlled ship with seafarers on board: The ship is controlled and operated from another location. Seafarers are available on board to take control and to operate the shipboard systems and functions.

• Degree 3: Remotely controlled ship without seafarers on board: The ship is controlled and operated from another location. There are no seafarers on board.

• Degree 4: Fully autonomous ship: The operating system of the ship is able to make decisions and determine actions by itself.

Today, most ships in testing are at level two; they have the capabilities to operate autonomously but still have crew onboard. Until regulations catch up, it’s likely that the industry will remain at this stage for some time. Technical and infrastructure issues also remain, such as ensuring a continuous connection with the vessel at sea. 

Industry Application

While MASS clearly has some very favorable business cases like reducing costs by avoiding human error, maximizing cargo space by eliminating human spaces and reducing emissions to a certain extent, the practical implementation of this ships would be very limited. Smaller ships designed for specialized operations could be an ideal fit.

Legal implication of MASS

It is a fact that the legal framework governing maritime transportation has not been able to match the pace at which technology and automation have evolved both onboard and ashore. Since the advent of shipping, seafarers have been an integral part of ship operations. Outsourcing this to automation would require the rethinking of several legal obligations:

1.    Would autonomous ships without any crew onboard would be considered to be a seagoing vessel under various conventions like UNCLOS, international laws?

2.   Could these ships react in emergency situations which require situational judgment such as decision making to avoid collisions, respond to distress to save life at sea

3.   Who would be considered liable for nay damages caused due to a malfunction

4.   What training is required for those operating the vessels from a remote operations centre? Will they be called seafarers?

5.   Do we need to have amendment to Colregs?

Conclusion

While autonomous technologies continue to advance, work remains before unmanned ocean-going vessels become a common sight. Public acceptance and awareness of what autonomous technologies can and cannot do must also grow. Likewise, the technology must prove itself and come down in cost for it to become truly viable. Be that said, things are moving at a fast pace, and we should expect to see more remotely operated vessels entering operation in the next couple of years.