Japan successfully tests the world’s first autonomous container ship

Autonomy is the future and Japan has set out to lead this revolution in the maritime sector. Specifically, you want bareboats make up 50% of your local fleet by 2040. So far, it has tested the world’s first autonomous container shipping ships, as well as a ferry and amphibious vehicles.

The Japanese country is in the midst of a struggle to maintain its productivity with an increasingly aging population. For example, in the domestic tanker sector, approximately 40% of the crew is 55 years of age or older. Aware of the real need for autonomous ships and with the prospect that the global market for unmanned shipping could reach $166 billion by 2030Japan is immersed in the development of this technology through a consortium formed in 2020 by the Japanese non-profit foundation Nippon Foundation and partners from the freight transport sector, such as Mitsui Lines and Japan Railway Construction.

The proof of world’s first autonomous cargo ship, the Mikage, at the end of January was a complete success. Using a satellite system of radar sensors, cameras and a compass for navigation, the unmanned ship made a journey of 161 nautical miles (almost 300 kilometers) from the port of Tsuruga, in the Sea of ​​Japan, to the port of Sakai, near Osaka. For the mooring, one of the most difficult parts of the entire process, the Mikage enlisted the help of drones that released the ropes to dock workers waiting in port to secure the ship.

Days later, another of the consortium’s autonomous ships, the Suzaku, successfully completed a voyage between Tokyo Bay and Ise Bay, 236 nautical miles (380 kilometers) apart.

The Nippon Foundation estimates that the development of manned ships with artificial intelligence will have a positive impact of about 1 trillion yen (almost 8,000 million euros) for the Japanese economy in 2040. Satoru Kuwahara, CEO of the subsidiary of Nippon Yusen, one of the companies in the consortium, is confident that the technology will be ready for practical use in 2025. From then on, the challenge will lie with developing a regulatory framework and industry standards. around this type of transport, Kuwahara pointed out to Japan Marine Science.

The end of the supply crisis

The chaos in the supply chain as a result of the pandemic, which has contributed to fueling inflation, would have its days numbered. According to Denmark’s Maersk, which handles almost a fifth of the world’s shipping container traffic, shipping delays by sea will start to decrease in the second quarter of 2022.

In addition, sees a market expansion between 2 and 4% for this year, with a strong first half followed by an uncertain outlook from there. It will all depend on whether household demand for goods will hold up when the virus subsides and spending on services returns to normal. Currently, about 80% of the world’s trade volume moves by sea.

Port delays and rising consumer demand have pushed up prices for container carriers, who have posted record profits in recent quarters, according to a report. Fortune. Looking ahead to 2022, Maersk expects profits to be around $24 billion.