EMEA News
Unmanned Vessel Trialled for the First Time in Rotterdam Waters
An unmanned surface vessel has completed trials at Prinses Margriethaven on Maasvlakte 2 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
The V3000 vessel, developed by Demcon Unmanned Systems, operated autonomously under the supervision of a traditionally crewed vessel from the port authority, the Port of Rotterdam said in a press release on Wednesday.
The trial was made possible after a change in the Inland Navigation Police Regulations in April 2025, allowing exemptions from the requirement that vessels be crewed at all times.
Harbour Master Rene de Vries granted the first-ever such exemption for this operation.
“Unmanned vessels could complement our current surface vessels,” Vries said.
Surface vessels are typically used to measure the depth of harbours, rivers, canals and locks.
The Port of Rotterdam Authority and Demcon Unmanned Systems will now analyse the results from the trial.
