MPA, NYK and MTI conduct autonomous ship trials in Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on Wednesday (29 April) said it conducted trials in Singapore with NYK and MTI to test how autonomous vessel systems can interface with port-based system.

In 2024, MPA and NYK signed an MoU to advance cooperation in decarbonisation, digitalisation, and manpower development.

As part of this, trials were conducted with Elder Leader, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha’s (NYK) first autonomous-capable car carrier, which made its inaugural call at the Port of Singapore on 29 April in its maiden voyage. 

“The 200-metre LNG-fuelled vessel represents a new generation of car carriers, combining decarbonisation-focused design with advanced digitalisation and autonomous navigation capabilities. While autonomous-capable, the vessel currently remains fully manned,” MPA said in a social media post.

These trials focused on operational integration—how shipboard autonomous systems communicate with shore-based systems—while maintaining full crew oversight for safety.

During the call, the following were carried out:

• Use of MPA’s Just-in-Time (JIT) platform to facilitate timely arrival of vessel and delivery of marine services for Elder Leader;
• Transmission of Elder Leader’s route plans to MPA’s Next-Generation Vessel Traffic Management System (NGVTMS) prototypes; and
• Remote pilotage trials, including exchange of pilotage routes between PSA Marine (PSAM) and the vessel, live video and data transmission to a shore-based control station, and communications between remote pilot and vessel.

“The trials provide useful insights into how autonomous-capable vessels can operate safely and efficiently in a busy port environment,” it said.

“They will inform the continued development of NGVTMS and shore-based systems to support Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS).”

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 30 April, 2026