Drones to be tested as pilots at Port Esbjerg

During the spring, VesCo will move into the Port of Esbjerg to realize the possibility of pilotage by drone. VesCo is owned by DanPilot. Innovation and digitization are important in order to maintain both efficiency and safety for navigating busy ports, says Port Esbjerg's CEO.

The Port of Esbjerg is one of the busiest ports in Denmark with more than 5,000 ship calls every year, with access through the 21.4-kilometer-long channel from Grådyb to one of the many harbor basins. As a result, Port Esbjerg is not only a busy port, but also has one of the longest inlets in Denmark. At the same time, many different types of ships arrive and depart at all times of the day and night.

The long sailing channel, with its relatively long, straight courses, is ideal as a test facility. At the same time, there are many well maneuvering ship types:

"Drones can assist the pilot's work with a bird's eye view when sailing into Esbjerg and during maneuvers in the harbor. A drone equipped with an infrared camera increases safety in poor visibility, for example in foggy conditions. With the collaboration in Esbjerg, VesCo has great expectations that tests will show that the high level of safety for pilotage can be maintained with a drone-assisted solution," says Erik Merkes Nielsen, CEO of DanPilot.

DanPilot established VesCo in 2018 and has since been working on the possibility of increasing safety by developing an alternative to conventional pilotage that will make pilotage available to more ships.

With drone pilotage, VesCo and DanPilot are pioneers compared to other pilotage companies in Europe. "It's a natural development to improve services with new technology that maintains safety and increases efficiency," says Dennis Jul Pedersen, Port Director at Port Esbjerg, who sees great potential:

"Our vision is an integrated solution where digitalization and simulation ensure the most efficient port calls. We are therefore now taking the first steps towards a control center where ship calls are planned, controlled and monitored with the technology we already have the opportunity to use," says the port director.

VesCo will conduct the first test flights during the late summer. The test phase will run until the end of 2024, by which time the parties hope that the necessary permits for commercial operations with drone-assisted will have been received.