BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has recently approved the AUTOSHIPMAN agreement to support the increasing number of remotely controlled vessels.
The AUTOSHIPMAN deal establishes a standardized contractual framework, enabling third-party ship managers to provide operational services for remotely controlled and fully autonomous ships. Currently, these types of vessels are primarily employed in inland waterways and coastal trades, but the industry is expanding rapidly.
Captain Ajay Hazari of Anglo-Eastern, who led the drafting of AUTOSHIPMAN, explained that this sector is experiencing growth as remotely controlled ships are already operating commercially in various regions.
This new agreement is based on the widely adopted SHIPMAN agreement, which governs commercial services and outlines obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities. A key feature of AUTOSHIPMAN is its flexibility, allowing vessels to switch operational modes even mid-voyage.
Grant Hunter, Director of Standards, Innovation, and Research at BIMCO also stated that AUTOSHIPMAN represents BIMCO’s initial step into the commercial operations of remotely controlled ships, and potentially fully autonomous vessels in the future.
