ANPEan employee in the new control room
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 21:33
From now on, ships piloted by a captain on shore will sail on a stretch of the Rhine in Germany. A control room for such ‘office skippers’ has been opened in the port of Duisburg. In the long term, the new technology will require less crew; It would also make shipping safer.
The control room is the first of its kind in Germany. One of the companies involved has been working with remotely controlled ships in Belgium for some time. Sometimes there is no need for crew anymore.
Three ships are now controlled from the control room on the Rhine between Rotterdam and Bonn. The shore skipper has a series of screens and a control device at his disposal for this purpose. The ships are in turn equipped with cameras and sensors.
Sailing without a captain, but with ‘office skippers’
In the initial phase, the ships still have a skipper and other staff on board. In the long term it will be possible to sail with fewer people, or without them at all.
In German media, the inland shipping trade association points out the staff shortage in the sector. Now ships sometimes lie idle if the crew adheres to mandatory rest periods. An extra team on board is often not an option. In such situations, remote control can be a solution.
The authorities involved also hope that the work in the control room will appeal to people who are interested in inland shipping, but do not want to spend weeks on a ship.
2024-02-28 20:33:04
#Sailing #captain #office #skippers
