The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) Documentary Committee has approved the AUTOSHIPMAN agreement in response to the increasing number of remotely operated ships.
The AUTOSHIPMAN agreement creates a standard contractual structure for third-party ship managers who provide services for the operation of remotely controlled or fully autonomous vessels.
Captain Ajay Hazari, Anglo Eastern, who led the AUTOSHIPMAN drafting team, said: “Currently, remotely controlled ships are operating commercially in several parts of the world. We are seeing growth in this sector with several companies emerging and offering remote control management services to shipowners.”
READ: IBIA, BIMCO ink strategic maritime partnership
The agreement was created using the widely used SHIPMAN agreement, which governs commercial services and provides a framework for obligations, responsibilities, and liabilities.
BIMCO noted that one of AUTOSHIPMAN’s primary benefits is its flexibility, which allows ships to alter operational modes even during a journey. This flexibility is crucial because there may be legal requirements for remotely operated ships to have some or full crew on board while travelling through a jurisdiction’s territorial waters or when docking at a port.
READ: BIMCO reports quickest growth in 15 years for containership fleet
Grant Hunter, Director, Standard, Innovation and Research at BIMCO, stated: “AUTOSHIPMAN is a first step by BIMCO into the commercial operation of remotely controlled ships, and perhaps eventually fully autonomous ships.
“During the development of AUTOSHIPMAN, we were assisted by legal and insurance experts, and we have gained valuable insight throughout the process from companies who are already operating ships remotely around the world.”
