Danelec and leading Danish piloting company DanPilot are revealing the result of a key strategic partnership at the European Maritime Day conference in Svendborg, Denmark, taking place today and tomorrow. Together, they have developed an innovative solution with the potential to revolutionize maritime piloting. This new technology integrates operational and navigation solutions, allowing for safe piloting without requiring a pilot to board the ship.

Remote Piloting – A Revolution in Maritime Navigation

Danelec has been collecting vessel and navigation data on commercial vessels for 30 years. Today, vessel data can be sent to the cloud and displayed in near real-time ashore. By giving DanPilot access to it, a pilot can essentially see the same as they would if they were aboard the ship. This saves the time and cost of a pilot joining a vessel, while reducing the risk of accidents during transfer.

“Piloting is both time and resource-intensive, and it is extremely dangerous for the pilot boarding the vessel. Therefore, we are very happy to be in the market with a remote solution that enables DanPilot to guide global ship traffic through Danish waters without going onboard,” says Christian Kock, EVP, Safety at Danelec.

The new remote piloting solution reduces the need for a pilot’s physical presence on ships, optimizing safety and logistics while reducing environmental impact. And, because pilots no longer need to climb aboard to do their job, ships can maintain their planned speed, helping them to reduce fuel costs and to better meet scheduled ETA and ETD.

“Although changing speed to enable pilots to board and disembark may not sound like a significant burden on paper, it takes several tons of fuel and thus CO2 emissions to slow down and accelerate a ship that weighs several thousand tons. As a result, this contributes to the massive potential our solution has to impact the safety, economic and sustainability agendas,” continues Christian Kock.

Maritime data in action at the European Maritime Day

DanPilot and Danelec will showcase their new remote piloting station at European Maritime Day 2024, giving visitors the opportunity to see vessel data as experienced by the remote pilot. The technology enabling piloting from a remote location is supported by Danelec’s Vessel Remote Server solution, which collects real-time data from the ship.

“Our participation in European Maritime Day 2024 is a perfect opportunity to showcase how DanPilot is developing groundbreaking solutions for the future of piloting. The collaboration with Danelec and the focus on remote and drone-assisted piloting emphasize our commitment to safety and customer focus in maritime navigation, contributing to the green transition. We are very excited to present this solution,” says Erik Merkes Nielsen, CEO of DanPilot.

European Maritime Day 2024 takes place on 30-31 May 2024 at the SIMAC Academy (Svendborg International Maritime Academy). Hosted in Denmark for the first time, this two-day event gathers Europe’s maritime community to network and discuss initiatives in maritime affairs and sustainable blue economy.

Remote navigational assistance

A pivotal aspect of the remote piloting solution is its design to empower, not override, the decision-making capabilities of the onboard crew. The crew retains full control over the vessel, ensuring that the operational command remains securely onboard, thus significantly reducing the risk of external interference. The remote piloting solution enables efficient and clear communication between the ship’s crew and shore-based pilots. Pilots can send navigational commands directly to the crew, who can quickly respond and implement the guidance.

At no point does the remote piloting solution take over the control to navigate the vessel. This approach not only upholds the principle of maritime sovereignty but also ensures that the expertise and situational awareness of the ship’s crew are augmented, not replaced. By maintaining this control within the hands of those on the vessel, Danelec and DanPilot ensure that the safety and operational integrity of maritime navigation are enhanced without compromising the autonomy of the crew.