Abu Dhabi Ports (ADP) is collaborating with Canada’s Robert Allan Limited (RAL), the market leading tugboat designer, to develop the world’s first fully unmanned autonomous commercial marine tugs. Once developed, the tugs will join the towage fleet operated by Safeen, ADP’s maritime services division.
According to ADP, one of the advantages of the innovative design will be to enable operations in far more adverse weather conditions than tolerated by existing tugs. There will also be the opportunity to deliver increased efficiency and operational safety.
RAL has been working on solutions to the technical challenges provided by an unmanned tugboat for several years now. However, the company says it had been ‘somewhat stalled’ in progressing to commercial construction, until this opportunity to make that transition was provided by the agreement signed with ADP.
