Prinses Margriethaven, and Maasvlakte 2 in the Port of Rotterdam, was the scene of a test with an unmanned surface vessel, where for the first time, a ship of this type was allowed to sail beyond a closed environment.
The Inland Navigation Police Regulations (BPR) normally require that ships be manned at all times. Since a legal amendment in April 2025, it is possible to obtain an exemption under certain conditions. The harbor master, René de Vries, granted the exemption for this test.
A BPR exemption of this kind had never been granted in the Netherlands. This allowed the V3000 surface vessel from Demcon Unmanned Systems to sail autonomously in Prinses Margriethaven under the supervision of a traditional manned surface vessel from the Port of Rotterdam Authority.
A surface vessel measures the depth of harbors, rivers, canals, and locks. The use of an unmanned surface vessel offers the Port of Rotterdam Authority the opportunity to conduct even more efficient surveys in the future, for example, for depth measurements in larger areas like Maasvlakte 2.
“During the fleet renewal process, we are exploring various options that will help us to perform our tasks in the Port of Rotterdam even better. Unmanned vessels could complement our current surface vessels. Autonomous navigation has not yet been implemented on Dutch waterways. It is encouraging that we can now accommodate these initiatives with a BPR exemption,” explained the harbor master, René de Vries.
