Harbour tug Maju 510 verified for autonomous collision avoidance

The harbor tug Maju 510, owned and operated by Keppel Smit Towage, a member of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei, has won the Autonomous and Remote-Control Navigation Notation from ABS classification society.

The tug is said to be the first vessel in the world to receive the notation in question from ABS and the first Singapore-flagged vessel to receive the Smart (Autonomous) Notation from MPA Singapore.

The notations were assigned following successful trials conducted at Raffles Reserved Anchorage, off Singapore Island, in March 2022. ABB installed its Ability™ Marine Pilot digital solutions on the vessel and Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) was acting as the project lead for the autonomous solutions on the tug.

The 32-metre-long harbor tug demonstrated its ability to autonomously avoid collisions in various scenarios, such as when two other vessels approach simultaneously on colliding paths and when a nearby vessel behaves erratically, ABB informed. The trials were supervised by an onboard tug master.

“I had the pleasure of being aboard Maju 510 during the collision avoidance trials and experiencing how smoothly the tug performed in autonomous mode,” said Romi Kaushal, Managing Director, Keppel Smit Towage.

“What I found particularly impressive was how the digital system identified one or several risks in the tug’s planned path and responded to set the vessel on a new, safer course. The vessel performed as if it was operated by an experienced tug master.”

The vessel became the world’s first vessel to secure the ABS Remote-Control Navigation Notation, following initial remote operation trials at the Port of Singapore in April 2021. The latest trials verified next level of autonomy, demonstrating automated situational awareness, collision avoidance, and maneuvering control provided by ABB Ability™ Marine Pilot Vision and Marine Pilot Control.

“As the systems integrator, Keppel O&M collaborated with ABB on customising the autonomous solutions to enhance the vessel’s operational safety and efficiency. By liberating the crew of time- and energy-consuming tasks and improving accuracy during critical maneuvers, our autonomous solution has proven its ability to increase safety in even the busiest of ports. The autonomous solutions are future-ready to handle the growing demand of tug operations in Singapore port”, said Aziz Merchant, Executive Director, Keppel Offshore & Marine.

“Through digitalization, enhanced connectivity, and integrating ABB’s technology, we are able to generate high accuracy positioning and maneuvering, with AI engines for marine object recognition and classification.”

In an earlier demonstration of ABB’s autonomous technology, the ice-class passenger ferry Suomenlinna II was remotely piloted through the Helsinki harbor. ABB believes that most, if not all vessels could benefit from a higher level of automation for improved safety, efficiency and sustainability of operations. Optimized maneuvering helps to prevent accidents, enhance productivity and reduce fuel consumption and emissions.