Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences (UAS) has secured at least EUR 2 million in funding for the Living Lab Green & Autonomous Corridor Rotterdam-Oslo project. At its heart are two innovative hydrogen-powered vessels being developed by Samskip, scheduled to begin operating from 2027.
The funding has been awarded through the Just Transition Fund (JTF). Within the project, education, research and industry will work together on the future of zero-emission and partly autonomous shipping. The project will run until the end of 2029.
Also read: Funding for hydrogen SeaShuttle container ship that will connect Norway and the Netherlands
Major transition
The maritime sector is undergoing a major transition. New European regulations, including the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and upcoming IMO Net-Zero regulations, are forcing shipping companies to accelerate the decarbonisation of their fleets. At the same time, digitalisation, remote operations and autonomous navigation are fundamentally changing the work of seafarers, port personnel and shore-based operators.
As lead partner, Rotterdam UAS is represented in the project by Thierry Verduijn, Professor of Seaport Logistics, who is involved in experimenting and innovating with the role of professionals in the port. He says: ‘The project is particularly relevant right now. Work is shifting from ship to shore. Because of the energy transition and increasing digitalisation, we as a region need to prepare for this. What will future jobs look like and what kind of people do we need to train? Which skills will they need and how should we educate the next generation?’
Through the Living Lab Green & Autonomous Corridor Rotterdam-Oslo project, Rotterdam UAS and its partners will investigate which new skills, functions and forms of cooperation are required in this changing sector.
Practical research on hydrogen vessels
The project will establish a living lab around two so-called SeaShuttles developed by Samskip: container vessels powered by hydrogen and technically prepared for autonomous operation. The ships will provide operational data on energy management, maintenance, navigation and cooperation between crews, onboard systems and remote operators. The ships will sail between Rotterdam and Oslo.
‘The SeaShuttles are pioneers within shipping, which is why we are keen to work together on this project to optimise this new way of operating,’ explains Jeroen Hollebrands, Head of New Building and Projects at Samskip. ‘They are the first zero-emission short-sea container vessels.’
Also read: Steel cut for Samskip’s first zero-emission short sea SeaShuttle
Remote Control Centre as training facility
A Remote Control Centre (RCC) will also be established at the Rotterdam UAS RDM campus. From this centre, students, researchers and professionals will be able to experiment with remote operations, energy management and autonomous navigation.
‘We are really setting up the Remote Control Centre as a training facility where we can work on realistic practical challenges,’ states Sophie Nuijten, R&D Project Manager at Seafar.
The living lab will provide a realistic experimental environment in which companies, knowledge institutes and educational institutions can jointly learn, test and innovate. The project also focuses specifically on the human capital challenges associated with the energy transition and digitalisation.
Starship
Earlier this year, Rotterdam UAS received funding for the Starship project, which focuses on the safe and efficient handling of autonomous ships. The Living Lab Green & Autonomous Corridor project, meanwhile, concentrates on human capital questions: which tasks and skills are needed to manage new energy systems, which maintenance strategies are effective and how should crews, autonomous systems and remote operators work together?
The project is supported by the Just Transition Fund, the European Union and Kansen voor West. Consortium partners include Samskip, Marin, Zeabuz, Techbinder, Seafar, Captain AI, the Municipality of Rotterdam, STC, ABB, TU Delft and Smart Ship.
Picture: Samskip will operate hydrogen-powered SeaShuttles between Rotterdam and Oslo (image by Samskip).
