Korea to build autonomous ship, test it in Ulsan

South Korea will construct an autnomous ship able to carry 300 people by 2022 and operate it in coastal waters off Ulsan to conduct feasibility tests on key technologies.

According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the 45 billion-won ($38.1 million) project aims to gain a track record for the 2,800-ton ship and verify core technologies to be mounted on it, such as carbon emission reduction and engine optimization technologies.

At the same time, the Industry Ministry will establish a 160 billion-won research and development center in Ulsan to conduct feasibility studies on those ships.

Scheduled for completion by 2025, the facility will develop and verify autonomous navigation and engine systems and provide the data achieved from performance tests to the shipping industry.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)