FAR EAST: JAPAN REPORT
The Nippon Foundation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Group company Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd. have successfully completed a demonstration test of the world’s first fully autonomous ship navigation systems on a large ferry, conducted on the Iyonada Sea from Shinmoji, Kitakyushuu City, in January.
This demonstration was part of MEGURI2040, a fully autonomous ship navigation project launched by The Nippon Foundation in February 2020.
Japan’s declining birthrate, aging population, and shrinking population have resulted in labor shortages in many fields. Seafarers in coastal shipping, which requires hard work on board, are no exception. More than half of the seafarers in coastal shipping are over 50 years old, which poses a major challenge.
In addition, there are approximately 400 inhabited remote islands in Japan, many of which have only two services a day, morning and evening, and there are not enough services for daily life. Furthermore, there is a large number of maritime accidents and human error is said to be responsible for approximately 70% to 80% of these accidents. Unmanned vessels are expected to be one of the solutions to these social issues.
Currently, demonstration tests of unmanned operations are being conducted mainly in automobiles. In marine transportation, however, the development of unmanned vessels has been almost nonexistent due to the technical difficulties in developing communication systems between land and ship. Avoiding obstacles is also a challenge.
Economic concerns such as the high costs required for the development of such a system also pose a problem.
Japan possesses world-class technologies, including IoT, AI, and image analysis technologies, and the joint development of these technologies by multiple private companies potentially could dramatically advance the development of unmanned ships.
There are five consortia within MEGURI 2040, each developing new equipment, systems, and mechanisms. The five are described below.
- Creating the Future of Unmanned Vessels: A Grand Design by Diverse Experts
More than 30 companies in Japan have come together to develop an unmanned navigation system for container ships. Development will be carried out under an open innovation system, with the aim of social implementation. A land-based support center has been established in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture, to enable ship operations from land in the event of an emergency.
- Unmanned Technology Demonstration Experiment for Coastal Containerships and Car Ferries
Development of unmanned operation systems for containerships and ferries is underway. For ferries, a successful autonomous navigation system has been demonstrated in harbors, including takeoff and landing functions. In addition, a drone-based mooring support system for container vessels is also under development.
- Development of Amphibious Unmanned Operation Technology – Yamba Smart Mobility
An unmanned operation system for amphibious vessels is being developed for Lake Yamba-Agatsuma in Gunma Prefecture. The system extends automobile self-driving technology to enable unmanned operation on the water. They are also developing a land-based monitoring and operation system using local 5G for communication.
- Unmanned Vessel at Sarushima, Yokosuka, Japan
A system for unmanned operation of small sightseeing boats on Sarushima Island in Yokosuka is being developed, including a system that uses three cameras to detect other vessels and automatically steer clear of them.
- Development of Smart Ferry
A new vessel equipped with a system for unmanned operation is being built and developed for the ferry that operates between Shin-Moji and Yokosuka.
The ferry will begin manned operation on July 1, 2022, and data for unmanned operation is being accumulated.
Source: The Nippon Foundation
PSR Analysis: While technological innovation is required in the shipping industry, this initiative by the Nippon Foundation stands out. The demand is clearly there, and progress in development is expected, as unmanned vessel operation would not only reduce labor costs but could also lead to a reduction in the serious shortage of human resources.
The electrification of ships is still in the dream stage. The batteries themselves are heavy, and even though the catalog values for small battery-powered ships indicate a five-hour operating time, the actual operating time is barely two hours, so the performance of the batteries themselves must be improved.
Battery-powered ships already exist in the market, but they are not yet mature. It will take at least another 5 to 10 years for the market to put them to practical use. In the area of new fuels, there is a noticeable trend toward reducing CO2 emissions by using DUAL FUEL (LNG and diesel) and ammonia as fuels, mainly in the merchant ship sector.
The MEGURI2040 introduced here is different in theme from the electrification and new fuel and is aimed at unmanned small ferries and small domestic vessels. I believe that the unmanned technology has a high potential for future business viability, as it is expected to be applied to a wide range of vessels once the series of unmanned technology matures.
Of course, there are various issues that need to be addressed. The most significant of these is the need to ensure safety. It is essential to establish the know-how to deal with accidents and problems. Unlike on land, help will not come immediately in the event of trouble on the water. Basically, everything must be handled on board, but what should be done when the ship is unmanned? The key point will be how to respond to irregular events. PSR
Akihiro Komuro is Research Analyst, Far East and Southeast Asia, for Power Systems Research
