UK updates code of practice for autonomous ships

“It is not if, but when”, said James Fanshawe, chair of the Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group, at the launch of version 2 of the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) UK Code of Practice this week.

Indeed, the Yara Birkeland, an autonomous battery-powered cargo ship has been developed by a Norwegian agriculture company to carry fertilizer 37 miles down a fjord, to its production plant at the port of Larvik.

After (manned) trials of the $25m ship ? ...