Norwegian transport operator Torghatten and Kongsberg Maritime have entered into a contract for the development of a system for self-driving ferries on the Flakk-Rørvik route in Trøndelag county in central Norway.
The car ferry service operation is part of the Norwegian highway network (County Road 715) and connects the city of Trondheim with communities on the Fosen peninsula.
The collaboration between the two companies will see Kongsberg Maritime technologies installed on the ferries. These technologies include those for auto-docking, auto-crossing, collision avoidance, and situational awareness.
Kongsberg Maritime said the new systems will help reduce fuel consumption, improve safety and punctuality, and optimise the staffing on ferries, in accordance with maritime regulations.
Kongsberg Maritime added that, through demonstrations of its remote and autonomous technologies on several pilot projects, the company's remote and autonomous technologies have proven applicable to coastal or inland waterway vessel types.