Overview

• HGK Shipping secured a six-month permit to pilot remote navigation of the Niedersachsen2 through the Elbe-Seitenkanal
• Ship captains operate from a Duisburg command center 400 kilometers away, shifting from fortnight-long deployments to standard office hours
• The test voyage carries 2,500 tons of coal to assess whether remote control can improve crew recruitment and retention
• Onboard cameras feed live visuals and a stable mobile network supports steering inputs to replicate bridge conditions remotely
• Rhenus plans its own system by 2030 as the German government backs the trial to help ease the inland waterway labor shortage