The ship "Folgefonn..." this project has been supported by the Norwegian state-owned company Innovasjon Norge (Photo by Baltic Shipping Services)

According to the publication Maritime Sector - Naval Engineering, the tests have been carried out with the Folgefin ship, a ferry of 83 m long owned by Norwegian operator Norled. The ship, which has hybrid propulsion, has already installed the wireless loading system developed by Wärtislä. It has also been the first in the world to have the first automatic docking system installed.

The actual test period has taken place between January of this year until this April and the captain did not need to take manual control at any time.

The system is automatically activated 2 km from the dock and the ship continues with normal navigation speed. The alignment maneuver is then gradually reduced and activated and fully automatic until the ship is tied. It does the same (not reverse) procedure when the ship has to leave port.

The software automatically controls all ship maneuvers, including maneuverability and propulsion. You can intervene and take manual control at all times. The system reduces the probability of human error and improves efficiency as it reduces the docking time.

Norled has made the Folgefonn available to Wärtislä to further develop other Wärtsilä Smart Marine systems and products. The ship already has automatic wireless charge, wireless inductive charge and energy storage, to which the automation of the docking is attached.

In 2017, the same Wärtsilä team successfully tested the remote control of a ship sailing in the North Sea from its location in San Diego, California. The development of smart boats is fundamental to the intelligent vision of the Wärtsilä marine ecosystem.