Singapore Shipowner Eastern Pacific Shipping Chooses Avikus for Autonomous Navigation Solution

Singapore-based shipowner Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) has commissioned South Korea’s autonomous navigation systems venture Avikus, an arm of HD Hyundai, to supply its AI-powered autonomous navigation solution for two vessels owned by EPS.

EPS has signed a contract with Avikus for the installation of Avikus’ HiNAS Control, the HiNAS Cloud system, an analytics platform for shore-side fleet monitoring, as well as HiNAS SVM. These systems will be fitted onto one bulk carrier and one Suezmax tanker, with a focus on ensuring safer berthing and unberthing operations.

The project includes full commissioning and a training program for onboard and ongoing online crew education to ensure seamless integration and operation of the autonomous navigation systems.

This collaboration marks Avikus’ first commercial retrofit contract outside of South Korea and is expected to assist EPS in achieving its climate goals by improving fuel efficiency and safety measures.

CEO of Avikus, Dohyeong Lim, expressed his confidence in the technology, stating: “This agreement validates the strength of our autonomous technology and its ability to deliver tangible fuel savings and safety improvements.”

With the maritime industry facing increasing regulatory pressures and demands for sustainability, autonomous technologies like Avikus’ are becoming essential for building a safer and greener future at sea.

Avikus has equipped over 350 ships with its AI-enabled systems, both in newbuildings and retrofits, with future projects in the pipeline. In a recent development, the company secured a contract with H-Line Shipping to provide its HiNas solution for at least five ships, with a potential expansion to 30 vessels.

In a strategic move, Avikus partnered with Norway’s DNV to work towards the approval of autonomous ship solutions, aiming to lead the industry in autonomous navigation technology.