Maersk Tankers trials drone deliveries, inspections

The first drone delivery to a vessel at sea was successfully completed by the company in late January. The delivery of small parcel to the tanker Maersk Edgar took place near Kalundborg in Denmark, using an ATEX (Zone 2) approved drone from French company Xamen.

Maersk anticipates that its vessels receive an average of three cases a year – of medicines, supplies and spares – that could be delivered by drone instead of by barge, meaning that annual barge costs of up to US$9,000 could be avoided. Maersk Tankers operates around 100 vessels.

The company noted: “In the tankers business it can be difficult to predict far in advance which port will be called at next. And even when in port it can be complicated and expensive to deliver items to our vessels as they are not alongside the quay.”

Maersk Tankers noted that drones also have potential for inspections, for example taking photos or video of areas to identify cracks. Markus Kuhn, supply chain manager, Maersk, noted the need to ensure that drone operations are carried out safely.

“They must be certified as intrinsically safe for most tasks, so they cannot create any spark, even if they were to crash,” he said. “Some inspections can pose risks if performed by humans. If drones are approved for tank inspections, it will improve safety on tankers and potentially in other oil-related installations.”

Fellow Maersk Group companies Maersk Supply Service and APM Terminals have started to look into drones, while Maersk Oil and Drilling are already testing them for inspecting flare tips and other installations.

DNV GL, Polish shipyard Remontowa and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding are among those to have already tested drone use during inspections.