Norwegian Firms Establishes Freight Route for Uncrewed Cargo Vessels

Norwegian firm Maritime Robotics said it has been given the green light to establish a freight route for its uncrewed vessels in the Trondheimsfjord in Norway.

With approval from the Norwegian Coastal Administration and the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, Maritime Robotics will now operate its environmentally friendly and sustainable uncrewed surface vehicles (USV) to transport goods and equipment between its headquarters in Trondheim and production premises in Vanvikan, located on the Fosenhalvøya.

Maritime Robotics’ uncrewed surface vehicle, the Mariner, has already been deployed on the newly approved freight route, the company said.

Eirik Hovstein, COO of Maritime Robotics, said the approval marks a significant milestone for the establishment of laws and regulations that enable launched drones to participate in ordinary traffic at sea. "Norway is a pioneering country in the development of autonomous vessels and laws and regulations must be updated to make use of the new opportunities this development offers."

The project has received support from ZAWAS, an innovation cluster in collaboration with Innovation Norway and Norwegian industry. The authorities are following up on the several ongoing projects to enable the technology to contribute to new value creation in existing processes. The establishment of the freight route for uncrewed cargo boats marks a crucial step in the development of more sustainable transport solutions.

Uncrewed vessels can contribute to cost-effective operations, reduced risk assessment, and lower CO2 emissions than existing manned alternatives.