Norwegian trucks transported 261.1 million tonnes of goods around the country last year, and the amount increases every year, according to Statistics Norway. Now Asko, which supplies food and goods to Norgesgruppen’s chains, has decided to reduce traffic. They have bought two boats, which will transport 150 containers a day between Horten and Moss. In this way, the roads can be spared 2 million kilometers of lorry transport annually. Tested for two years The all-electric sea drones, also called autonomous ships, started their journey from Cochin in India on 28 June this year. Now they are in place in the harbor in Horten. The boats will initially be manned by two navigators. This is to ensure that everything works as it should. Kongsberg Maritime will upgrade the vessels with technology for autonomous operation. Once the new system has been approved by the Norwegian authorities, they will sail unmanned across the fjord. If all goes according to plan, this should happen in two years. – The boats must be safer or as safe as a manned boat, explains general manager of Asko Maritime, Kai Just Olsen. Kai Just Olsen, general manager of Asko Maritime on board one of the autonomous ships that recently arrived at the port in Horten. Photo: Viktor Tangestuen / news He adds that the ships will also be cheaper to operate, as the control center can control several boats at the same time. Greener shipping On arrival at the ports, electric terminal tractors are waiting to unload the boats. Electric cars will then carry the goods on, and pick up goods from local producers on the way back. According to Asko, this will lead to 5,000 tonnes less CO₂ emissions each year. – Many kilometers are saved. You get much better use of the time of the driver and the car. We produce the same amount of goods on the road, but reduce the number of cars, says Olsen. The transport is scheduled to start mid-September, after the necessary equipment has been installed on board. Cheers to the project The Norwegian Coastal Administration believes that the new ships can solve a number of challenges related to the flow of goods. In addition, it is more environmentally friendly. – We see that this is the future, but not everything is in place today. It is a useful solution for us to gain experience ourselves, and to be able to develop our own maritime safety measures, says senior adviser at the Coastal Administration, Trond Langemyr. BELIEVE SELF-DRIVING SHIPS ARE THE FUTURE: We encourage others to do the same as ASKO, says senior adviser at the Norwegian Coastal Administration, Trond Langemyr. Photo: Langemyr Coastal Agency adds that this solution will also reduce costs for shipping goods. – At the same time, people will not lose their jobs, because the positions will be created on land instead. According to the senior adviser, it is difficult to recruit seafarers and find someone who wants to be at sea for a long time. There will also be less wear and tear on the roads if the sea is used to carry heavy transport, he points out. – We want the sea route to be the preferred route for heavy transport. It costs much less to maintain the sea route, compared to the land route. There is a lot of legislation that needs to be in place, not least internationally, before self-driving ships become the norm. – But that we can test this out on a small scale, and under orderly conditions, that is the way we must go, in order to get to where we want to be in the long term. DELIVERED BY SPECIAL TRANSPORT: The autonomous ships were recently delivered to Falkenstein Bay north of Horten. Then they had been transported from Cochin in India. Photo: Spoon agency The boats are christened on 15 September, before they are put into normal traffic for the first time.
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The ships that will reduce lorry traffic – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
