Page 10: of Marine Technology Magazine (November 2022)

AUTONOMY

VESSEL AUTONOMY IN

OFFSHORE WIND

Scaling up operations through technology and regulation

By Elizabeth (Liz) Kretovic, ABS Director – Business Development North

America Offshore Wind utonomous technology is adding value to the off- specialized tasks and fully autonomous vessels are likely to be shore wind (OSW) industry, its supply chains and limited to smaller units operating in controlled areas such as government policy with the potential to deliver port waters, or perhaps on local, point-to-point voyages.

Abene? ts such as increased operational ef? ciency However, vessel owners and operators see the possibility for and safety, and reductions in human error and operational autonomous functions to be applied to conventional commer- costs. With the unique needs for wind leases and their relative cial vessels in the near future to improve seafarers’ work and close proximity to shore, a wider group of systems and tech- duties to help relieve their workloads, as well as to improve nologies can be deployed. situational awareness. Good situational awareness happens when crew have a complete picture of their vessel’s position

A DEVELOPING REGULATORY LANDSCAPE in relation to nearby ships and/or other risks. For autonomous

Autonomous technology is the result of rapid advancements navigation, autonomous collision detection and collision in sensors and imaging, vessel connectivity, machine learning, avoidance functions should be able to monitor and analyse and more. However, regulation, engineering and mind-set all their surroundings with a high level of accuracy and make present challenges as signi? cant as the development of tech- changes when necessary based on the analysis of precise data.

nology itself. While simulation techniques for determining how autonomous

The IMO’s Maritime Safety (MSC), Legal (LEG) and Fa- functions will operate in practice are growing in sophistication, cilitation (FAL) Committees have all completed their separate the recent test onboard Prism Courage was signi? cant for being

Regulatory Scoping Exercises on autonomous operations. the ? rst case to be undertaken on a vessel in actual operations.

From the review of the various instruments by the Maritime The Prism Courage voyage demonstrated that the continuous

Safety Committee (MSC), the scoping exercise identi? ed a improvement of navigational safety in the future will require list of 11 common potential gaps and/or themes which needs improved situational awareness and far more exchange of navi- to be addressed to advance the development of regulations for gational and voyage data between vessels and shore.

autonomous operations. From this list, the IMO has identi? ed four potential gaps and/or themes as high-priority issues that SUBSEA AUTONOMOUS OPERATIONS cut through critical IMO instruments and may require a policy Autonomous operations have a critical role to play in sub- decision or determination to progress further. sea operations. This includes site investigation to support

The IMO has embarked on plans to develop goal-based re- conducting survey operations, mapping ocean ? oors, through quirements for autonomous operations with the target of pub- to passive acoustic monitoring to assess protected species lishing these requirements by January 1, 2028. and natural resources. In order to be granted a permit to de- velop wind farms, extensive environmental due diligence is

MOVING FORWARD required. Autonomous operations can help to provide further

Industry mindsets are changing. Conversations about ‘fully bene? ts to this sector of the renewables industry.

autonomous’ vessels to autonomous and remote control func- ABS continues to provide the necessary veri? cation and cer- tions, will have a big role to play in future OSW operations. ti? cation for this process. The role for Class in Third Party

There is potential for fully autonomous vessels to be used in assessments is to support risk evaluations and to help qualify 10 November/December 2022

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