Commercial Ships of 2030 Will Be Smarter, Greener, and have Flexible Powering Options

In particular, maritime autonomous systems are expected to impact maritime security significantly.

A new report looking at the future of commercial shipping has predicted that by 2030, a list of 18 technologies will make ships more environmentally advanced and digitally connected than ever before, Lloyd's Register (LR) announced this week. 

According to the report, which was conducted by LR, QinetiQ, and the University of Southampton, the ships of the future will be "smarter, data driven, greener, with flexible powering options, fully connected wirelessly onboard, and digitally connected through global satellites."

In particular, the development of maritime autonomous systems will be "the biggest revolution in maritime security in over a century," said the report. 

In addition, LR said that the other 17 technologies identified as having the greatest likelihood of having the highest impact included technologies such as robotics, sensors, and big data analytics.

They also cover propulsion and powering, advanced materials, and various sustainability and energy advancements that are expected to increase the attractiveness of hybrid-power solutions.  

"The marine world in 2030 will be a connected and digital one, bringing closer integration between people, software and hardware in a way that could transform the way we operate," said LR Marine Marketing Director Luis Benito.

"We know technology is changing our world and there is a great deal of overlap between technologies and how they combine will be important."

In the report, the 18 technologies are further grouped into two main drivers of change, with one group focusing on solutions that will transform ship design and space, and the other focusing on the technologies that drive safety, commercial and operational performance.

"Shipping is likely to evolve quickly now. That evolution is likely to be uneven but while 2030 is not far away, we think that shipping is likely to have changed significantly," said LR Marine Director Tom Boardley. 

Last year, LR also released a report predicting the future of marine fuel into 2030, which included forecasting the decline of heavy fuel oil's share of the market.