Autonomous E-barge: inside MAGPIE’s push to make autonomous operations a reality in the Port of Rotterdam

An inland shipping barge leaves the Prinses Amaliahaven in Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte 2, bound for the Waalhaven in the heart of the port. The purpose of the trip is to transfer containers from one terminal to another: a vital part of cargo logistics that is a common occurrence in the port. However, this particular barge is not something you’d see every day: it is operating autonomously. The route is not only busy with vessel traffic; it also involves complex manoeuvres, challenging navigation, and dynamic river and tidal currents.

Part of a European port sustainability project called MAGPIE, the events described above took place in mid-2026 to answer one of the trickiest questions in autonomous shipping: before a vessel can sail itself, can it first learn to tell everyone else what it’s about to do?

“This was the second ‘Autonomous E-barge’ demonstration, which looked at how a ship can sail autonomously in a port,” says Thierry Verduijn, Autonomous Sailing Lead on the MAGPIE project.

The first demo, called ‘When Ships Talk’, took place in October 2025 and focused on sharing intentions: how autonomous ships share and coordinate information with each other and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) systems digitally. “With this second demo ‘Autonomous Port Operations’, we took things further; including autonomous docking, manoeuvring autonomously into and out of port basins, and collision avoidance in port basins and on the river.”

Thierry Verduijn demonstrating a digital simulation of autonomous port operations as part of the MAGPIE project.

European coordination

MAGPIE is a European project that aims to advance the sustainability of ports. It is divided into ten separate demos at various stages of technology readiness, one of which is dedicated to Autonomous Sailing, led by Thierry. “It’s a special project because, rather than technology development, it’s more about showing what solutions are available to make ports more sustainable,” he explains.

Rotterdam acts as a ‘lighthouse port’: a large port whose knowledge is then tested for transferability to smaller European ports. “The Port of Rotterdam is big and complex. If solutions work here, we have most likely covered a variety of situations and challenges faced by other ports. The smaller ports can benefit from what we learn.”

Why automate a barge?

For Thierry, the case for autonomous inland shipping starts with people. Or rather: the lack of people. “The shortage of trained crews is getting more severe,” he says. “At some point, if we still want to sail safely, we have to look at whether automation can provide the solutions to workforce shortages.” At the same time, freight volumes are rising, and inland shipping will need to absorb a growing share of that flow. “Looking at the current staff shortages and the expected growth of cargo flows, automation is a no-brainer.”

There’s a ‘workforce-attraction’ angle too. Remote operations (monitoring a vessel from an office rather than a ship’s wheelhouse) could make the inland shipping sector more appealing to a new generation entering the workforce. “If our most important goal is to maintain the competitive edge and capacity of the inland shipping sector, autonomous vessels with remote operations could allow people to have a more normal life rhythm,” Thierry says.

Electronic navigation display showing vessel traffic and route planning for autonomous inland shipping in the Port of Rotterdam.

Two routes to autonomy

At the moment, Thierry sees the sector using two parallel approaches to uncrewed operations. The first keeps crews on board while gradually automating the vessel as the technology develops. “Companies like Shipping Technology, Tresco and Argonics are pursuing this route,” he notes.

The second approach gradually reduces crew numbers, relying on onshore remote operators to take control of the vessel during long, quiet stretches of a journey. “The crew can be called upon for busier moments, but otherwise this frees up the crew to handle other tasks on board or to rest.”

While remote operation is technically mature (Seafar already offers a commercial solution), using it to reduce the number of crew members is not allowed, except in Belgium. In the Netherlands and Germany, a helmsman must always be present in the wheelhouse.

Teaching vessels to share what they know

Full autonomy in calm, traffic-free conditions is already achievable. The hard part is everything else: reading other vessels, negotiating traffic, and avoiding collisions. This is precisely the gap that the ‘Autonomous E-barge’ project set out to close. The demonstrations combined technical trials and VTS scenarios, testing whether inland vessels could share their intentions digitally, both with each other and with traffic control. Although automatic mooring wasn’t part of the tests, the results were clear: a standard inland vessel with a classic two-rudder, two-propeller setup, could navigate a genuinely challenging route, sailing autonomously from terminal ‘A’ to terminal ‘B’, including collision avoidance measures.

“This was a five-year project compressed into two. It was about collaborating with national and regional parties. Because we’re so well integrated in that network, and in stakeholder management, we were able to organise it quickly, with good results.”

Thierry Verduijn, Autonomous Sailing Lead on the MAGPIE project

A complex and connected system, not an isolated ship

For Thierry, the real value of the ‘Autonomous E-barge’ demos was the clarity they brought. “We got a really good picture of how far we are with the technology, and where we, as a port, should focus.” He emphasises that an autonomous vessel doesn’t operate in isolation; it shares the waterways with other traffic, terminals, dredging activity and more. “Therefore, it’s important that the entire system develops alongside these existing activities.”

That’s where the Rotterdam region’s strength becomes clear. Thierry points to the tightly organised smart shipping network, built up over years, for the pace at which the ‘Autonomous E-barge’ project came together. “This was a five-year project compressed into two. It was about collaborating with national and regional parties. Because we’re so well integrated in that network, and in stakeholder management, we were able to organise it quickly, with good results.”

For companies joining projects like MAGPIE, Rotterdam’s innovation ecosystem translates directly into faster, broader and better solutions. “And don’t forget how important it is to have a market to develop those solutions,” adds Thierry. “In the case of MAGPIE, we found out exactly what the market needs to make this technology scalable.”

Thierry Verduijn overlooking the North Sea from the Port of Rotterdam, where autonomous and sustainable shipping solutions are being developed.

Step-by-step, not a big bang

When asked about his vision of the future of autonomous ships in port and inland shipping environments, Thierry says the real turning point lies in regulations. “If within two or three years, the legal framework and technology allow crew numbers on board to be reduced safely and gradually, then I think adoption will move pretty fast.” Once that structure exists, he expects the business case to follow quickly, giving operators a real incentive to keep automating.

There is already a precedent: vessels under 20 metres face no minimum crewing requirements, provided they can safely take part in traffic. “Legally, you can already take that step. That should now also happen for reduced crews on larger vessels; show that you’re safe, and you can sail with less crew. But we’re not going to introduce fully unmanned vessels overnight – it’s going to be incremental.”

As MAGPIE has shown, Rotterdam's role isn’t simply to test autonomous technologies, but to help shape the standards, partnerships and confidence needed to bring them into everyday operations across Europe.

Download the whitepaper

Autonomous shipping is no longer a distant prospect. The technology is ready, but scaling it requires the right regulations, trust and collaboration. Discover five practical insights from DronePort Rotterdam, the MAGPIE project and SmartShip, and learn how Rotterdam is turning autonomous and uncrewed systems from promising pilots into standard maritime practice.