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Russian shipping companies sign for autonomous vessels
News by WCN Editorial

Morspetsservice and SeaEnergy have signed a MOIs for autonomous navigation systems with Kronstadt Technologies

Sakhalin Island-mainland operator Morspetsservice has signed to equip 10 vessels with Kronstadt a-navigation systems and SeaEnergy will equip 10 vessels.

In early December, the Russian government approved the decree on introductions of nationwide experiments in MASS (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships) operation for a period of up to five years until 2025. The document is based on the IMO Interim Guidelines for MASS trials and prescribes full compliance with COLREGs-72 (Collision Regulations). The detailed information about these changes was submitted by Russia to IMO MSC on 11 February 2020.

The decree is a part of the large-scale regulation for MASS operation being implemented by the Russian Maritime Administration based on the results of an Automatic and Remote Navigation Trial Project (ARNTP). This was carried out in Russia in 2019-2020 by several technology and shipping companies under umbrella of MARINET, the Russian maritime industry association.

Signing ceremony in St Petersburg - Andrey Rodionov, CEO of Kronshtadt Technologies (L) and Vadim Pavlovets, CFO of MT Group...

Within the framework of this decree, the agreements define the projects and names of vessels, the schedule of their equipment, the location of onshore monitoring and control centers for autonomous vessels. Morspetsservice and SeaEnergy become the first companies in Russia to announce the creation of a commercial fleet of autonomous vessels.

Morspetsservice plans to equip a series of 10 vessels of the JM-410-Sakhalin and JM-408-Sakhalinets (catamaran hull ro-paxes) to provide sea freight and passenger traffic in the Far East, including the Sakhalin region. In accordance with the signed agreement, the lead ships of the series, MSS PIONEER and MSS AVANGARD, must be equipped by August 30, 2021.

SeaEnergy, a part of MT-Group, plans to equip a series of 10 multipurpose general cargo vessels of the U-Type (9,300dwt), which began operating this year in the waters of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Mediterranean Sea The lead vessel of the series, KAMILLA, is planned to be equipped by 31.12.2021.

All 20 vessels will be classed by RINA.

At the same time, sea trials of technical solutions in real operation should be completed on board several vessels belonging to SCF (tanker MIKHAIL ULYANOV), Rosmorport (dredgers REDUT and RABOCHAYA) and Pola Group (general cargo ship POLA ANFISA), as reported by the project leader, MARINET’s CEO Alexander Pinskiy.

"The new agreements underscore that the shipping branch is now ready for change and is looking for practical possibilities to deploy innovative solutions for heightened efficiency and safety of commercial shipping," said Andreya Rodinova, press officer of Kronstadt Technologies.

Alexander Pinskiy previously announced plans to equip at least 100 autonomous vessels under the Russian flag in the next three years