Using an unmanned aerial vehicle supplied by French company Xamen Technologies, Maersk Tankers have for the first time successfully delivered a drone-supplied parcel to a vessel at sea. The drone was launched from a nearby tugboat, and dropped a package onto the Maersk vessel from a height of 5 metres.
This could pave the way to more at-sea drone deliveries, potentially leading to massive savings- as Markus Kuhn, supply chain manager, explains, the technology could allow “avoidance of barge costs of $3,000-9,000 per vessel per year. And if you consider that Maersk Tankers has around 100 vessels, the savings potential could be substantial.”
