Seatrade-Maritime: NYK car carrier completes Singapore autonomous navigation trial

Published by Seatrade-Maritime

NYK and Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) successfully completed a demonstration trial of autonomous navigation systems on 29 April when car carrier Elder Leader made its first call to the port of Singapore.

The ship is equipped with an autonomous navigation system and undertook interoperability trials with MPA’s port systems. The companies said the trails verified:

• Transmission of voyage planning data from the vessel to MPA’s next generation vessel traffic management system prototypes
• Sharing of pilotage route information from the onshore support system to the vessel, as well as real-time transmission of live operational data and video from the vessel
• Utilisation of MPA’s Just‑in‑Time (JIT) platform to enable smooth and efficient vessel arrival

The results of the demonstration trial will be used in the study of MPA’s next generation vessel traffic management system and other shore-based support systems that interface with autonomous vessels.

“These results represent a significant step forward toward the practical deployment of autonomous vessels in international shipping,” said NYK.

MPA and NYK signed a wide-ranging MoU in 2024, which included digitalisation alongside decarbonisation and human resource development. The autonomous navigation demonstration was carried out under the MoU and using strict safety management following a risk assessment carried out with the ship’s master, bridge team, and pilot in attendance. “Remote pilotage was limited to navigation through the channel and fairways only,” said NYK.

The exercise followed a port-to-port Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS) trials workshop in June 2025 which brought together more than 60 participants from MPA, NYK, MTI and ClassNK along with research institutions. The workshop focused on MASS trials to test the interoperability of port-based systems and autonomous vessels.