Autonomous Ferry Makes Successful Trip
Technology company ABB and Helsinki City Transport took the next step in autonomous shipping as the Ice-class passenger ferry Suomenlinna II was remotely piloted through a test area near Helsinki harbor.
During world’s first trial for an existing passenger ferry, ABB tested the enhancement of ship operations with technologies that are already available for nearly any kind of vessel.
“We are excited about the potential impact of this test on the future of the maritime industry,” said Peter Terwiesch, president of ABB’s Industrial Automation division. “Advanced automation solutions from ABB are making the previously impossible possible for a wide range of sectors, including shipping, which is actively searching for technologies that can rapidly deliver more efficiency and better safety.”
Added Juha Koskela, managing director at ABB’s Marine & Ports unit, “Autonomous does not mean unmanned. As vessels become more electric, digital and connected than ever before, ABB is able to equip seafarers with existing solutions that augment their skillsets. In this way, we are enhancing the overall safety of marine operations.”
The ferry was retrofitted with ABB’s new dynamic positioning system. The trial is said to represent a crucial step toward increasing the maritime industry’s acceptance of autonomous operation systems. Autonomous solutions are expected to transform international shipping in the coming decades. The trial took place during the vessel’s off hours, away from shore with no passengers aboard, in an area free of other vessels.
Suomenlinna II, originally built in 2004, is fitted with ABB’s icebreaking electric propulsion system. Additionally, the ferry was retrofitted with ABB Ability Marine Pilot Vision situational awareness solution in 2017. Suomenlinna II operates year-round, undisturbed by the winter conditions that affect all other modes of transport in the Helsinki region.
For the remote piloting trial, the ferry departed from Helsinki’s market square, and Captain Lasse Heinonen wirelessly operated Suomenlinna II with ABB Ability Marine Pilot Control through a pre-selected area of Helsinki harbor.
“The progress we have made with the remote trial has been remarkable,” said Heinonen. “I believe we are on the right track to exploring further possibilities of this technology as we move forward.”
