Marineworks Selected to Lead Development of an Eco-Friendly Autonomous Tugboat

Marineworks recently announced that it has been selected as the lead organization for the project, "Development of an Eco-Friendly Tugboat (TUG) with Remote Control and Autonomous Navigation," funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). With a total project budget of KRW 13.2 billion, the initiative aims to develop a next-generation tugboat equipped with an eco-friendly propulsion system and autonomous navigation technologies by 2029.

Tugboats are essential vessels for port operations, but they have long faced challenges such as high fuel consumption, significant carbon emissions, and labor-intensive operations. To address these issues, Marineworks plans to integrate a hybrid electric propulsion system with remote-control and autonomous navigation technologies. The company aims to reduce energy consumption by more than 30% while developing an intelligent Level 2 autonomous tugboat capable of remote operation with crew members remaining onboard.

The industry has begun referring to Marineworks as a "shipbuilding industry's Fabless company" or a "smokestack-free shipyard," drawing comparisons to the fabless business model in the semiconductor sector. Without operating a large-scale shipyard, the company is leading actual shipbuilding projects by leveraging its expertise in vessel design, integrated control platforms, and autonomous navigation software.

Marineworks has steadily strengthened its technological capabilities through the Korean Autonomous Surface Ship (KASS) Project, where it developed a Digital Bridge Platform and successfully demonstrated IMO Level 2.5 autonomous navigation. The company has also achieved notable milestones by participating in the construction of Hanwha Ocean's autonomous test vessel Hanbii and developing a remote-controlled maritime firefighting system.

The project brings together a consortium of leading Korean industry, academic, and research organizations, including Marineworks, Daesung Shipping, Hanwha Ocean, DSEC, HJ Shipbuilding & Construction, Changwon National University, National Mokpo Maritime University, and the Korean Register (KR).

Source: Hong Bo-kyung, Money Today

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