A remotely operated harbour tug developed by Singapore's Keppel Offshore and Marine (Keppel O&M) is the first in the world to receive the ABS Remote Control Navigation Notation.
A trial of the 65-metre Maju 510, which was controlled from a remote location at the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore's (MPA) Maritime Innovation Lab, was successfully performed in April 2021. The second phase of the project, scheduled for late 2021, will see the vessel perform autonomous collision avoidance tasks while under remote supervision.
Maju 510 is owned and operated by Keppel O&M's joint venture company Keppel Smit Towage.
The project was one of a series of initiatives to inform the development of the recently published ABS Guide for Autonomous and Remote-Control Functions, which introduced the REMOTE-CON notation and another recognising autonomous functions. The guide sets out a goal-based framework for the implementation of these technologies on vessels and offshore units.
