With approval from the Danish Emergency Management Agency, DanPilot and Danelec are now initiating a test programme for remote pilotage – the first of its kind in the world. The programme allows pilots to guide ships from land, using only advanced data transmitted directly from the vessels.
According to the companies involved, the approval marks a significant step towards a technological paradigm shift, opening new possibilities for safety, climate action, and operational efficiency in the maritime sector.
Danish Emergency Management Agency granted the approval as part of a broader effort to enhance safety and preparedness at sea. The test will serve as a foundation for future regulation and possible broader application – both nationally and internationally.
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Improving safety and reducing fuel consumption
The aim is to improve pilot safety and reduce fuel consumption for ships – all without compromising navigational safety. In this way, remote pilotage can support Denmark’s maritime leadership in the shift towards safer and more sustainable shipping.
Ships no longer need to alter course or speed to embark a pilot, which leads to lower fuel consumption. At the same time, the need for pilot boats is eliminated in relevant scenarios – saving both fuel and logistics resources without compromising operational safety.
‘Remote pilotage makes our work safer and helps reduce both CO2 emissions and operational costs for our customers,’ says Erik Merkes Nielsen, CEO of DanPilot. ‘We have worked intensively towards this for six years, and now we can finally test it in practice. It has the potential to become a major paradigm shift in how pilotage is carried out.’
Kattegat and western Baltic Sea
The remote pilotage programme will take place in the Kattegat and the western Baltic Sea. The test period will last up to eighteen months and include approximately fifty pilotages.
For the first time, it allows pilots to guide selected ships through Danish waters without boarding them physically. Instead, the operation is carried out from a control centre in the city of Randers – removing the most hazardous part of a pilot’s job: the physical boarding of ships.
During the test phase, the technology will only be used on vessels that meet specific technical requirements such a draught under 13 metres and only in designated waters. The solution is expected to be relevant for up to ten per cent of DanPilot’s pilotage operations in Danish waters.
The test is conducted in collaboration with a range of shipping companies, including Maersk, which contributes ships operating in the test area.
How remote, data-driven pilotage works
Remote pilotage is based on Danelec’s technology, which collects and transmits key data from the ship – including course, speed, and position – via the ship’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). This data is transmitted in real time to DanPilot’s control centre in Randers. Here, the pilot uses Danelec’s software to analyse the information and provide accurate navigational guidance – without being physically present on board.
Picture by Danelec.
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