Collaboration project enables remote-controlled harbour tug operations

Photo: F.Berkelaar

MacGregor has announced its participation in a collaboration project that will see the company work together with industry partners, academia, a shipowner and the Hamburg port authority to enable remote-controlled harbour tug operations by 2020 and to start marketing the technology during 2022.

As the remote-controlled tugs will be crewless, winch-handling processes need to be automated; MacGregor will develop the technical solution for an autonomous rope handover system.

“The shipping industry is dependent on safe, reliable and efficient towing operations,” says Jörg Peschke, Director, Drives and Controls, R&D and Technology, MacGregor. “Ships are getting bigger and bigger, whilst harbour infrastructures will remain the same in size. Therefore it will be increasingly difficult to coordinate and control the number of vessels involved in towing manoeuvres.

“In the future, software-supported central operators will optimise towing manoeuvre patterns and coordinate the collaboration of various tugs,” Mr Peschke continues. “Remote-controlled harbour tugs are key to this kind of application and will improve the safety, reliability and economic efficiency of future tug boat operations.”