MARINET association reports MASS operating in Baltic Sea

? Russian maritime industry association MARINET announced that two ro-ro ships, Marshal Rokossovsky (year of build – 2021) and General Chernyakhovsky (year of build – 2022), were verified and certified as maritime autonomous and remotely controlled vessels by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS). Both ships had passed a thorough survey in accordance with the Regulations for Classification of Maritime Autonomous and Remotely Controlled Surface Ships (MASS) developed and issued by the RS in 2020, including:
? Autonomous navigation system installed on the ship
? Set of communication equipment and data exchange
? Means of navigation and maneouvering
? Ship power plant
? Remote control station.

Upon verification, both vessels received a MASS Statement of Compliance and were classified as ships of remote control with manual control override capability at sea and manual control in restricted waters.

Simultaneously, the first Remote Operation Center also passed the prescribed survey and received the appropriate Statement of Compliance to control Marshal Rokossovsky and General Chernyakhovsky remotely. The ROC site, with the control room located in Saint Petersburg Passenger Port. Both vessels are operated by Rosmorport company.

? “This is extremely important experience for the widespread commercial application of MASS,” says Alexander Pinskiy, Chairman of the Industry Association MARINET. “We have gone all the way to installing and certifying autonomous navigation systems as the main – not additional experimental, as previously – systems of the vessel. The crew, including the remote crew, of these vessels have been trained and certified for MASS. For regular commercial use, the vessels and the remote control center have been certified by the classification society with the assignment related categories of autonomy – those procedures that will be required for all next commercially operated MASS”.

Ships’ main dimensions: length overall – 200 m, beam – 27 m, deadweight – 11900, draught – 6 м, main engine – 2х6000. Both vessels are now operating in the Baltic Sea area, Ust-Luga – Baltiysk route, 518 nautical miles.

?? Source: Marinet