The NYK-operated car carrier Elder Leader made its official first call at the port of Singapore on 29 April, 2026.
During its visit, the vessel, which is equipped with an autonomous navigation system, was utilised in a demonstration trial to verify the interoperability between its navigation system and the existing port systems.
Utilising marine DX technologies; the vessel also features a large-motion mitigation system and a comprehensive onboard Wi-Fi network covering the entire carrier. It adopts a decarbonised design, and uses liquefied natural gas as fuel in a bid to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
In 2024, NYK signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with MPA that aimed to promote decarbonisation, digitalisation, and human resource development in the maritime sector.
This latest demonstration trial was conducted in accordance with this MOU and under strict safety management following a prior risk assessment with the ship master, ship’s bridge team, and a pilot in attendance.
With remote pilotage limited to navigation through the channel and fairways only; the following items were verified:
- Transmission of voyage planning data from the vessel to MPA’s next generation vessel traffic management system (NGVTMS) prototypes
- Sharing of pilotage route information from the onshore support system to the vessel, as well as real-time transmission of live operational data and video from the vessel
- Utilization of MPA’s Just‑in‑Time (JIT) platform to enable smooth and efficient vessel arrival
Outcomes from the demonstration trial are expected to be used in the study of MPA’s next-generation of vessel traffic management systems, as well as shore-based support systems capable of interfacing with autonomous vessels.
