08.01.2026 | Presse Release

HGK Shipping in a pioneering role: Dangerous goods ship in Flanders with remote control permit for operational optimisation for the first time

Duisburg / Hasselt. HGK Shipping is consistently continuing its commitment to tackling the shortage of skilled labour in inland shipping: Europe's largest inland shipping company recently received a one-year test permit from the responsible licensing authority De Vlaamse Waterweg nv (Flemish Waterways Company) in Flanders (Belgium) for the remote operation of a hazardous goods vessel in conjunction with a possible extension of sailing time. Permission is granted to operate a ship from a Remote Operations Centre (ROC) on the waterways east of Antwerp. Instead of two skippers, only one specially qualified specialist is required on board for the third phase of this operational optimisation. The chemical tanker "Walcheren" is also the first HGK Shipping vessel in the Flemish region of Belgium to take advantage of the innovative technology with crew-optimised ship control.

"The smarter deployment of personnel is the goal of our efforts for remote-controlled inland navigation in order to meet the acute and increasingly drastic shortage of skilled labour. The authorisation now granted in Flanders, which allows the crew on board to be reduced by one skipper in certain types of operation, represents an enormously important step in this direction," says Steffen Bauer, CEO of the HGK Group and Chairman of the Management Board of HGK Shipping. "The licence issued for a dangerous goods vessel in our Wijgula fleet shows that the technology has completely convinced the authorities in previous test phases in terms of safety."

The chemical tanker "Walcheren" of HGK Shipping

Safe transport with flexible personnel deployment

In phase 3, HGK Shipping only needs one skipper and one sailor instead of two skippers on the "Walcheren" for the regulated so-called A2 sailing time of 18 hours. The ROC operator, who has all the necessary qualifications, takes over the remote control of the ship for four hours, while the sailor monitors the operation of the ship in the wheelhouse and the travelling skipper observes his rest period. This implementation requires intensive familiarisation and close coordination between the project partners.

The operator, who has all the necessary qualifications, takes over the remote control of HGK Shipping's "Walcheren" in the Flemish part of Belgium at the Remote Operations Centre.

"The fact that the 'Walcheren', a chemical tanker, is our first ship for phase 3 illustrates the high degree of reliability that the authorities in Flanders now attest to the technology for sensitive groups of goods. Following successful Phase 2 tests in the Netherlands and Germany, we expect to make the transition to crew-optimised driving in the near future through close coordination with the authorities there too," emphasises Steffen Bauer with regard to the company's objectives.

In view of the noticeable shortage of skilled skippers and the goal of making the profession more attractive through innovative digital solutions, HGK Shipping is consistently driving forward the development of remote control for inland vessels. The most recently commissioned ships already have the necessary technology, while older models are gradually being retrofitted as required.