The POS SINGAPORE, the first large fully autonomous oceangoing vessel, began testing on September 23, 2024. The sail-away ceremony for the Liberian-flagged ship was held at Busan Port, South Korea, by the Ministry of Trade.
As the first oceangoing vessel with level 3 autonomy, the POS SINGAPORE can operate without a crew onboard, featuring a high degree of automation. The vessel measures 172 meters in length and 27 meters in beam, and it is equipped with advanced navigation systems that monitor and interpret environmental conditions for safe and efficient operations.
Source: JUNE
The POS SINGAPORE is part of the Korea Autonomous Surface Ship (KASS) project, which was initiated in 2020 by the Korean Ministry of Ocean and Fisheries with a budget of $120 million. The ship was built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and delivered to Pan Ocean.
Over the next year, the POS SINGAPORE will undergo testing on routes between Korea and Southeast Asia, focusing on the effectiveness of its automated systems, engine automation, and cybersecurity.
The South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries aims to establish a benchmark for the broader adoption of autonomous shipping technology based on the data collected during the POS SINGAPORE’s tests.
