Korean shipbuilders have the world's best merchant shipbuilding capabilities. In particular, there is no country that can match the technology of building Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers or super-large oil tankers. In addition, an autonomous navigation system that finds an optimal route on its own without human interference is also being developed. The autonomous navigation system, which has entered the commercialization stage, is attracting attention as the “game changer” in maritime transportation and a new “weapon” for the Korean shipbuilding industry to dominate the global market.
Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries, and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering developed their own autonomous navigation solutions and succeeded in demonstration and test operations in coastal waters where ship operations are frequent.
Hyundai Heavy Industries Group’s autonomous navigation solution HiNAS 2.0 will be installed for the first time in the world on a large merchant ship currently under construction. An official from Hyundai Heavy Industries Group said, "HiNAS 2.0 will be installed sequentially from August next year on 23 ships currently under construction, including container ships and LNG carriers." A super-large LNG carrier equipped with HiNAS earlier succeeded in crossing the Pacific Ocean with an autonomous navigation system for the first time in the world last June.
For the first time in Korea, Samsung Heavy Industries succeeded in demonstrating autonomous navigation offshore along the island coast connecting the West Sea to the South Sea and the East Sea. For four days from November 15, 2022, Mokpo National Maritime University's 9200-ton training ship Segyero demonstrated a distance of 950 km from Mokpo, Jeollanam-do to Dokdo via Ieodo and Jeju Island. Segyero, equipped with Samsung Heavy Industries' remote autonomous navigation system SAS, succeeded in safely avoiding 29 collision risk situations encountered with other ships during the sail.
Samsung Heavy Industries announced that the SAS recognized in real time and suggested an accurate and safe avoidance route even in a complex collision situation with several fishing boats approaching from the front and right of the Segyero at the same time when passing near Ieodo, where there is a lot of maritime fishing.
Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering also successfully completed a sea test of an autonomous vessel in the waters near Jebu Island in the West Sea for two days from November 16, 2022. As a result, technical verification of the autonomous navigation solution was completed, and certification work began through collaboration with Korean Register.
Domestic autonomous navigation is in the second stage of the four stages classified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). It is currently at the level of remote control while a crew member is on board.
An official from the shipbuilding industry said, "As the number of skilled sailors is decreasing worldwide and the aging of crew members is intensifying, we have no choice but to develop an autonomous navigation solution that operates ships with a minimum number of people. Autonomous navigation systems can reduce transportation costs by more than 20% and marine accidents by more than 75%.”