Keppel completes world’s first vessel to get ABS’ remote-control navigation

It is also the first tug in South Asia that can be operated via joystick control.

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) completed the world’s first vessel to receive autonomous and remote-control navigation notations from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) classification society.

The Maju 510 tug is also the first tug in South Asia that can be remotely operated through joystick control, Keppel O&M said in its statement.

It can be operated from the shore command centre with a joystick, even for complex manoeuvres.

It is also the first vessel to receive the smart notation under the Singapore Registry of Ships by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), which certifies the tug’s capacity to perform autonomous and remote control navigation in a controlled environment with seafarers on board.

Keppel O&M, with the help of its technology arm, Keppel Marine and Deepwater Technology (KMDTech), established the shore command centre and upgraded the 65-ton bollard pull Maju 510 by “retrofitting advanced systems to generate digital situational awareness and high accuracy positioning and manoeuvring.”

For his part, Keppel O&M CEO Chris Ong said their in-depth engineering expertise and retrofitting experience allowed them to customise autonomous solutions for vessels such as Maju 510.

“This includes digitalising onboard systems and processes, modifying the vessel, as well as integrating best-in-class technologies and enhanced systems connectivity,” Ong said, adding that they seek to deepen partnerships with MPA and industry partners to improve maritime operations.