The unmanned vessels will come, says the Secretary General of the Danish Maritime Officers, Fritz Ganzhorn. And the union will not be blocking this development, he tells ShippingWatch. But he does hope that, going forward, officers will still be controlling the ships, perhaps from on-land positions.
BY JOHANNES HARTKOPF-MIKKELSEN
Ships running on electricity and which by using radars, sensors, AIS are able to steer themselves around without a single crew member on board. This scenario looks like a seafarer's worst nightmare, and according to DNV GL, this could be the reality within the next five to ten years under ideal development conditions.
Since late 2023, the purchase and sale of second-hand capesizes has increased significantly. The price of newbuilds is also at its highest in 15 years.