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Denmark to trial first data-driven remote pilotage solution

DanPilot and Danelec collaborate to test whether pilots can safely guide ships through Danish waters from a land-based control centre using advanced data transmitted directly from the vessels

By Rebecca Gibson | 15 May 2025

Global maritime technology company Danelec and pilotage services provider DanPilot are to carry out a first-of-its-kind remote pilotage trial for selected ships operating in the Kattegat and the western Baltic Sea.

During the 18-month test programme, which has been approved by the Danish Emergency Management Agency, Danelec will collect data about a ship’s speed, position, course and more via its voyage data recorder and transmit it in real time to DanPilot’s land-based control centre in Randers. Pilots will then analyse this data using Danelec’s software to provide accurate navigational guidance remotely, rather than physically boarding the vessel.

The trial will be conducted in collaboration with various shipping companies onboard vessels that meet specific technical requirements and have a draft of under 13 metres. DanPilot expects to use it for around 50 transits that do not require compulsory pilotage.

Remote pilotage offers “significant benefits” for the maritime sector by increasing pilot safety, operational efficiency and environmental sustainability, according to Danelec and DanPilot. This is because pilots would no longer need to embark ships, removing the need for these vessels to alter their course and speed to meet pilot boats. This would reduce fuel consumption and make logistics easier.

“Remote pilotage makes our work safer and helps reduce both carbon dioxide emissions and operational costs for our customers,” said Erik Merkes Nielsen, CEO of DanPilot. “We have worked intensively towards this for six years, and now we can finally test it in practice. It has the potential to become a major paradigm shift in how pilotage is carried out.”

The test was approved as part of the Danish Emergency Management Agency’s wider efforts to enhance safety at sea. It will serve as a foundation for the development of future regulations and possible broader application – both nationally and internationally.

“Remote pilotage is not only a technological breakthrough – it is a strategic step towards safer and more sustainable shipping,” said Casper Jensen, CEO of Danelec. “We are proud to deliver the technological infrastructure that enables safe navigation without the physical presence of a pilot. Here, cybersecurity – a cornerstone of our technology – is a prerequisite for implementing the solution safely and at scale in the global maritime sector.”