After six years of development, the Danish Emergency Management Agency has approved a world-first remote pilotage test program led by Danish pilotage firm DanPilot and maritime technology company Danelec.
The 18-month trial will involve around 50 pilotages in the Kattegat and western Baltic Sea for vessels with drafts under 13 meters. For the first time, pilots will guide selected ships through Danish waters without physically boarding them. Instead, operations will be conducted from a control center in Randers, eliminating the hazardous boarding process.
The system relies on Danelec’s technology, which gathers and transmits real-time ship data, including course, speed, and position via the vessel’s Voyage Data Recorder (VDR). This information is sent to DanPilot’s control center, where pilots analyze it using specialized software to provide precise navigational guidance remotely.
DanPilot is collaborating with several shipping companies, including Maersk, which is supplying vessels for the trial.
The objective is to improve pilot safety and the reduction fuel consumption for ships. The target is to do these without any compromise of navigational safety. Remote pilotage can therefore support Denmark’s maritime leadership in the shift towards safer and more sustainable shipping. The initiative marks a significant step toward modernizing maritime operations while prioritizing safety and sustainability.
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