Speech: MASRWG Conference - ‘The Reality of MASS’

The following remarks were delivered by the Maritime Minister, Robert Courts MP, at the Maritime Autonomous Systems Regulatory Working Group (MASRWG) conference on 18 January 2022.

INTRODUCTION

Good morning and a happy new year to all of you.

And thank you to James Fanshawe for inviting me here to speak to you today.

I’m so pleased to be here - even if it is virtually - to discuss some of the work the sector and government have done to make maritime autonomy a reality, amongst the ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic.

V5 OF INDUSTRY CODE FOR PRACTICE FOR MARITIME AUTONOMOUS SHIPS

The UK is a world-leading maritime nation, and through Maritime 2050 we’re focusing on those drivers of sector growth that will ensure our position as the most innovative, competitive and sustainable maritime centre, by the middle of this century.

Autonomy is one of those drivers, and I am delighted that the UK is leading the way in design and manufacturing, and in shaping industry best practice for the safe operation of autonomous vessels.

The updated voluntary industry code of practice is evidence of that.

May I offer my congratulations to Maritime UK for launching version 5 of the Industry Code of Practice for Maritime Autonomous Ships Systems.

 FUTURE OF TRASNPORT REGULATORY REVIEW

Work is taking place across Whitehall to create a better regulatory framework and ensure that the UK is at the leading edge of science and technology.

This involves enhancing Britain’s potential as a world leader in the Future of Transport, including self-driving cars, drones, modernising outdated vehicle standards... and of course, MASS.

In 2022 we are continuing our work, along with our colleagues at the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, led by Katrina Kemp, toward legislating innovative approaches in all transport modes when parliamentary time allows it.

Your responses to the consultation are, as always, an invaluable help, and I thank you.

I believe that a comprehensive regulatory framework that supports existing manufacturers and operators in the continued development and operation of MASS in the UK, is required.

 This should ensure that their evolving nature is adequately facilitated in UK legislation.

A flexible framework that defines common terminology so that MASS can operate on par with non-MASS ships; a framework that ensures relevant existing legislation will be workable for MASS.

To be clear: the intention is not to displace non-MASS ships or to render traditional maritime roles obsolete. Indeed, as the technology develops and MASS shipping expands, new roles and functions will expand as well.

With MASS ships being operated from remote operating centres, people may work in maritime operations from regions that have not previously been involved in seafaring.

This expansion of opportunities will allow us to open maritime career paths to people who might not have thought of such a thing before.

It will help us with levelling up regions that haven’t traditionally been part of the maritime community. And it will help us to attract a diverse range of people to help us innovate even further.

SAFETY

And, maybe even more arrestingly, it will help us to keep our people safe. In 2020 marine casualties and incidents, 675 people were injured and 38 tragically died.

And as you will know, this is less than we might have seen without the pandemic affecting the industry.

But even more importantly, 89.5% of reported safety investigations of accidents and incidents from 2014-2020 have listed human elements as a factor 89.5%. That is an extraordinary figure.

So, there are two points here.

One is that we can better protect our maritime colleagues with innovations in autonomy. It removes much of the risk and the cause of those risks, all at the same time.

COST

And, from an industry standpoint, there is a knock-on effect for the cost of owning and operating MASS ships.

The present cost of owning an autonomous bulk carrier is US$4.3 million lower than a manned ship over a 25-year period, due to savings on fuel consumption, crew supplies and salaries making it cheaper to transport people and goods.

 So, the financial and safety benefits are clear.

ENVIRONMENT AND EMISSIONS

But there are more far-reaching benefits as well.  

During London International Shipping Week last September, the first ever green submarine feasibility study for un-manned submersible was one of the winners of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

A fully automated net-positive submarine fleet, powered entirely on green hydrogen, could help cleanse the oceans of toxic pollution by collecting microplastics on its pilot route between Glasgow and Belfast.

While transporting cargo shipments, the fleet could secure significant emission savings of 27 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in the first year of operation.

Another winner was an all-electric charge point connected to an offshore wind turbine. 

The charge-points will be able to power boats using 100% renewable energy generated from the turbine. This offers potential savings of up to 131,100 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions a year – the equivalent of removing over 62,000 cars from our roads.

And excitingly, similar to roadside electric vehicle chargepoints, these will be operated by semi-automated control. Ships can moor up by the wind turbine chargepoint, plug in, charge up, and sail on.

So even if MASS ships are not by definition a ‘green technology,’ there really is no doubt that the green possibilities are there.

AUTONOMOUS SHIPS MARKET

And most importantly for our economy, this is clearly a growth industry.

In 2020 it was worth around $88bn, and it’s predicted that by 2030, that will have grown to around $135bn.

In 2020 there were 38 ship companies active in the autonomous ship sector. Turnover rose from £128m to £157m between 2015 and 2020, and is expected to reach £359m in 2050.

By 2030, though, there could be anywhere from 40 to 800 companies.

Now you may ask, why such a large range?

Well, that’s where government comes in. I have said, and Maritime 2050 makes it clear, that the UK is determined to be world-leading in the design, manufacture, uptake, and use of smart shipping technologies.

For that to happen, the right regulations and support must be in place. There must be a vibrant research and development culture. And finally, we must have a highly competitive register for technologically advanced and autonomous ships. And all of those things are underway.

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

My department has provided £4.8m in funding to MarRI-UK to promote maritime technology development. This has funded 21 projects across a range of areas, including autonomy.

UK FLAG

The UK Shipping Register has maintained a flag that is recognised for its quality. Both the Paris and Tokyo MoU White lists, which are the key indicators of performance of flag states, consistently rank it highly.

At home, the Prime Minister has been clear on his prioritisation of UK shipbuilding. As part of the budget announcement, from April global shipping companies will be offered tax breaks if they fly the red ensign. As well as making it easier for overseas companies to access the tonnage tax scheme, it was also designed to increase the use of the ensign.

REGULATION

The UK boasts unrivalled legal and judicial expertise on shipping, insurance and international trade matters, as English law is the global maritime industry standard. In fact, significantly more maritime disputes are settled by English arbitration than by the rest of the world put together.

If one of the major requirements to grow the MASS ship industry is a properly fit for purpose regulatory framework, there is no better place for its development than here. There is no doubt that the IMO, when able to do so, will produce the necessary framework. But if that isn’t until 2028 – at the earliest – then we must move faster.

The absence of a comprehensive regulatory framework for MASS may present a barrier to growth, particularly as industry develops larger and more complex autonomous shipping. It may inhibit our development of maritime autonomy, including investment, jobs, and growth. Safety, security, health, and environmental impacts may not be properly defined, accounted for or mitigated by the government, regulators, or industry.

And UK domestic legislation would not be ready for future changes in international law. There is therefore a reputational risk if the UK falls behind.

Of course, the UK could diverge from international standards as they develop in the future. But the UK will take its experience on the regulation of autonomous ships to the international discussions to shape them and thus reduce this risk.

And built-in flexibility within the proposed legislative changes would also ensure that the UK is able to align with the international position as it develops.

I don’t think there can be any doubt that the future of maritime includes autonomous ships.

The reality of MASS is that it offers the opportunity for the UK to be – as historically it always has been – the world’s innovator on the high seas.

Our collective work to ensure that the stage is set: a strong research and development culture, a highly respected and competitive flag, and the regulatory framework necessary to allow MASS ships to compete equally, will pay us dividends in so very many ways.

I look forward to today’s discussions and thank you again for your time today.