Factors Influencing the Business Case for Autonomous Ships

5 pages•Published: January 5, 2024

Abstract

Autonomous ships during any transition from conventional vessels may embrace either full or partial autonomy. At present, it is unclear how routine maintenance or breakdown, performed currently at sea, and periodic maintenance and survey, currently undertaken in port, will be scheduled. Along with these considerations matters of safety, security, reliability, availability, and the ability to remotely diagnose potential and actual failure situations will also influence the business case for autonomous ship procurement. While the initial cost of acquiring an autonomous ship is of significance in decision making, this paper principally focusses on various other aspects of the business case. Our research has shown the importance of maintenance in developing the business case for both coastal and deep-sea shipping. Indeed, maintenance and the availability of the ship will be the determining factors in whether autonomous unmanned operations will yield a profitable business case which is attractive to ship owners. Resilience during operation is a further factor that affects profitability, and this is analysed in the context of reliability and security. This paper addresses through discussion, and the results of research, into the factors influencing the business case relating to the acquisition of autonomous ships for coastal and deep-sea ships and further presents recommendations to consider when building a business case for autonomous ships.

Keyphrases: business case, Equipment/machinery breakdown, Maintenance, Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS), Reliability

In: G. Reza Emad and Aditi Kataria (editors). Proceedings of the International Conference on Maritime Autonomy and Remote Navigation 2023, vol 2, pages 39--43

Links:	https://easychair.org/publications/paper/SHzw
	https://doi.org/10.29007/n736