HGK and Deymann Launch Remote-Controlled Inland Shipping Project

SEAFAR, the Belgian technology and service provider for remote-controlled and crew-reduced inland shipping, has established the first so-called Remote Operations Center in Germany together with its project partners HGK Shipping and Reederei Deymann. The location in Duisburg was officially opened on February 28 in the presence of key representatives from politics, authorities, and business. With the remote control center, it is possible to navigate ships on inland waterways from land.

(Duisburg) This innovative technology addresses the shortage of skilled workers. The partners are working to utilize the permits already obtained for the ongoing test operation on the Lower Rhine and to identify further navigation areas for this pioneering solution approach with the authorities. Currently, they are in the application phase for sections of routes in the northwestern German canal area as well as on the Mittelland Canal and other sections of the Rhine.

In Belgium and the Netherlands, these crew-reduced concepts for different types of inland vessels are already successfully in use and are expected to be partially controlled from the new SEAFAR location in Duisburg-Ruhrort in the future. “Our step onto the inland waterways of the largest economy in Europe is also a milestone for our company,” says Janis Bargsten, Chief Commercial Officer at SEAFAR. “Together with our two partners HGK Shipping and Reederei Deymann, who have equipped five ships for this project so far, we can make a valuable contribution to modernizing the transport mode and the professional profile.”

Driving Force in Development

“As a leading inland shipping company in Europe, we see ourselves as a driving force in the development of the industry – both in the construction of new resource-efficient ships and in the use of innovative solutions that become implementable in everyday life as part of the megatrend of digitalization. If ambitious climate protection goals are to be achieved in the coming years and decades, this can only succeed with inland shipping and the shift of freight traffic to the waterways,” emphasizes Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping. “Under the motto ‘More climate protection despite a shortage of skilled workers,’ this technological approach, with the option to partially control a ship from a land-based operations center, aims to secure transport options on this important transport mode in the long term.”

Looking forward to the start of the project (from left to right): Martin Deymann, Managing Director of Reederei Deymann, Janis Bargsten, Chief Commercial Officer at SEAFAR, and Steffen Bauer, CEO of HGK Shipping

Remote Control Can Provide a Boost in Attractiveness

Martin Deymann, Managing Director of Reederei Deymann, adds, looking at an industry that faces the enormous challenge of attracting new ship captains to ensure the transport of significant quantities of goods: “Remote control from land can give the profession a significant boost in attractiveness. The better compatibility of work and family through employment closer to home provides valuable incentives to stay in or start a career in inland shipping. The remote control center and the associated digitalization push for this traditional profession provide a very important impulse.”

Three Jobs at the Remote Operations Center Duisburg

The Remote Operations Center in Duisburg currently offers three jobs for remote-controlling ship captains, referred to as ROC Operators, and one position for the Traffic Controller, who monitors ship movements from the background and serves as the primary contact person. Using state-of-the-art IT that meets the highest safety standards, the captains can navigate the inland vessels using control technology modeled after a wheelhouse and a comprehensive camera system, just as if they were operating on the water from a distance. The project partners are working closely with the relevant authorities and agencies to gradually expand the necessary permits for the individual navigation areas of the German inland waterway network.

About SEAFAR

SEAFAR is a technology and service provider based in Antwerp focused on crewed and remote-controlled navigation of inland vessels. SEAFAR develops and operates cutting-edge technologies for highly automated and crew-reduced shipping. Through control centers (Remote Operations Centers), SEAFAR monitors and operates unmanned and crew-reduced inland and coastal vessels, with a focus on effective and safe operations.

SEAFAR’s technology offers a solution to the increasing shortage of skilled workers and the opportunity to improve the competitiveness of inland shipping. The result is an acceleration in the development of a new generation of automated and environmentally friendly ships.

Photo: © SEAFAR