Kongsberg Maritime aims to enhance connectivity for autonomous ships

In partnership with Norwegian telecommunications provider Telenor Maritime, compatriot technology company Kongsberg Maritime is to conduct a ‘significant’ trial of Eutelsat OneWeb’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet service on an autonomous battery-powered barge across the Oslo Fjord, Norway.

With an aim to improve ship-board connectivity, this trial is expected to be a ‘vital component’ for advancing autonomous and remote maritime operations.

The project concerns a trial involving the zero-emission ASKO barge, an e-vessel designed for autonomous operations. Owned and operated by grocery distributor ASKO, the barge will be equipped with Eutelsat OneWeb’s Kymeta Peregrine u8 flat panel antenna system—a technology that, according to the enterprise’s website, would enable Kongsberg Maritime to experience LEO connectivity and bandwidth for real-time data transfer, ship-to-shore communication, and remote and autonomous vessel control.

Pål André Eriksen, Senior Vice President, Remote & Autonomous Solutions, Kongsberg Maritime, highlighted that uninterrupted connectivity remains as one of the ‘key challenges for remote and autonomous operations, particularly in the open oceans.’

“Overcoming the challenges of global connectivity and available bandwidth will unlock great potential for the deployment of such technologies in future, and we look forward to working with Eutelsat OneWeb and Telenor Maritime to see how this project can advance the development of autonomous shipping solutions further,” he added.

The ASKO barge, one of a pair delivered in 2022, has reportedly undergone extensive trials so far. The two have carried 16 cargo trailers on each journey across the Oslo Fjord. As a result, the operation is understood to have reduced road travel by two million kilometers and cut carbon emissions by 5,000 tons annually.

During the latest trials, the barge will be controlled from a Remote Operations Center (ROC), located in the Kongsberg Maritime facility in Horten. The ROC is operated by Massterly, a joint venture company of Kongsberg Maritime and Norwegian maritime group, Wilhelmsen.

Otherwise known as ‘sea drones’, both of the ASKO vessels have a permanent bridge for manual operations that can also be controlled from the ROC. However, the bridge is supposed to be omitted from future builds once the autonomous concept is proven completely successful.

Commenting on the collaboration, Eriksen emphasized, “Through the successful demonstrations of our remote and autonomous technologies on several ground-breaking pilot projects, including the ASKO barges, Kongsberg Maritime has already proved that remote and autonomous technologies are applicable to different vessel types.”

Just earlier this year, the efforts made toward sustainability through autonomous processes resulted in another partnership for Kongsberg Maritime, namely that with ferry operator, Torghatten. The contract that the two companies entered revolves around a system for self-driving ferries on the Flakk-Rørvik route, connecting the city of Trondheim with communities on the Fosen peninsula.

The project with Telenor Maritime and ASKO is expected to be another thrust forward in these endeavors.

“We’re grateful to ASKO for allowing us to install OneWeb’s latest antenna technology on one of their vessels, which will provide a realistic operating environment to comprehensively demonstrate the low latency, high throughput capabilities of Eutelsat OneWeb’s low Earth orbit satellite service,” Eriksen said.

Alexandra Kenworthy, Director Maritime & Energy, Eutelsat OneWeb, emphasized that the work with Telenor Maritime and Kongsberg Maritime could play a ‘key role in demonstrating the new, enhanced, and secure capabilities that high-speed low Earth orbit connectivity brings to maritime operations all over the world.’

“This trial is a great example of shared vision; and Eutelsat OneWeb’s collaboration with trusted partners like Telenor Maritime and Kongsberg will continue, as we drive digital transformation across the maritime industry. There is huge demand for resilient low-latency connectivity that will enhance business-critical operations as well as improve crew communications, for their customers everywhere.”

Knut Fjellheim, CTIO, Telenor Maritime said: “This project is incredibly important for the future of autonomous vessels, not only in local fjords and rivers but also in open ocean waters. I am genuinely excited about developing connectivity solutions that will set standards for the global connectivity for autonomous vessels.”