HD HHI kicks off autonomous ship demonstration off Ulsan

November 4, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

South Korean shipbuilder HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) is conducting collision avoidance and remote control maritime demonstration of autonomous ships.

As informed, HD HHI installed HD Hyundai’s autonomous navigation system on an 8,000 TEU containership built at its Ulsan yard to autonomously avoid collisions with other ships in the waters off Ulsan on November 4, 2024.

The shipbuilder will also control the speed and direction of the demonstration vessel remotely from HD Hyundai GRC in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do.

Previously, it was impossible to demonstrate autonomous operation because it was difficult to inspect ships for autonomous navigation systems and there was no legal basis for mariners on shore to adjust the ship during remote control. Still, the regulatory sandbox approval made it possible to demonstrate at sea, according to the shipbuilder.

On July 18, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) reviewed and approved 44 regulatory sandbox projects, including HD HHI’s autonomous vessel offshore demonstration.

Specifically, the regulatory sandbox is a system where the government gives companies special exemptions from current regulations so that they can quickly challenge new industries in limited areas.

“HD HHI plans to lead the international standard for autonomous ships based on the data accumulated through this maritime demonstration,” the shipbuilder said.

Earlier this year, Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD), an affiliate of HD HHI, unveiled the South Korea’s first pilot vessel intended for autonomous navigation. The 1,800 TEU Pos Singapore was named in March 2024.

The Pan Ocean-owned boxship will verify core autonomous operation technologies such as the intelligent navigation system and engine automation system being developed in Korea.

Back in 2022, HD Hyundai’s subsidiary Avikus carried out autonomous navigation of a large LNG carrier featuring HiNAS 2.0 autonomous solution. The transoceanic voyage of the Prism Courage was described as “the world’s first case” of a vessel using autonomous navigation technology.