Remotely controlled cargo ships coming soon on the Elbe Canal?

The Belgian company Seafar has developed technology that allows ships to be controlled remotely. It could be used in the future on the Elbe side canal in the Ulzen area.

Olzen/County – Fully loaded ships without a captain on board, traveling in the center of the region and completely legally: this is not just a dream for the future. “In principle, it is expected that remote-controlled ships will be allowed to run on the side of the Elbe Canal,” says Claudia Thoma, press spokeswoman for the General Directorate of Waterways and Shipping (GWS) in Bonn.

“Since remote control of charging is one of our central future-oriented themes, we support and promote this development in several ways,” explains Toma. In the spring, the Belgian company Seafar made trial voyages with remote-controlled vessels and GWS approval in cooperation with Häfen und Güterverkehr Köln AG (HGK) with the propulsion convoy “Niedersachsen 2-Hannover 2” on the Maitland Canal. However, there have not yet been any GWS-approved test drives on the Elbe side channel.

Seafar says remote control is possible using special technology. Cameras, sensors, antennas and robotic components that “can be easily installed in any ship” monitor the ship’s surroundings, working in conjunction with its control technology and linking it to specially trained ship captains at the control center on land. In principle, each of them can control several ships at the same time, which sail only with a small crew on board.

Remote control against shortage of skilled workers

The aim is to extend the annual operating time of ships and significantly reduce downtime and idle times – an economic advantage in freight transportation and ferry traffic. GWS spokeswoman Toma also emphasizes that thanks to this concept, the interaction between work, leisure and family can be improved for ship captains. This makes their profession more attractive to young people and compensates for the shortage of skilled workers in inland shipping.

“We want to be an engine of innovation by setting a framework for the maritime economy and logistics,” emphasizes GWS President Eric Ullmann. “We will also increasingly consider our own delivery options.