The International Group of P&I Clubs has confirmed that autonomous vessels can access its established insurance pooling arrangements, according to a recent announcement on its website.

The cover will apply across all levels of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), including fully unmanned vessels. The decision follows the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) approval of the MASS Code in May 2026, which provides the first global framework for the safe operation of autonomous vessels. The code will remain non-mandatory until around 2032.

The move addresses what has been one of the principal commercial hurdles for autonomous shipping: without access to the mutual P&I system that underpins global maritime liability cover, shipowners and operators have lacked the insurance certainty needed to deploy unmanned vessels at scale. Ports, charterers, and cargo owners typically require evidence of adequate third-party liability cover before allowing vessels to trade, making IG participation a practical precondition for commercial operations.

Coverage will be subject to individual club underwriting considerations, while compliance with flag and class requirements will remain key factors in determining insurability.

The Group stated that third-party liabilities arising from incidents such as collisions involving remote operators or autonomous systems can fall within standard mutual P&I cover. However, land-based risks — including workplace injuries at remote operation centres or damage to such facilities — are not considered marine P&I risks and would require separate insurance arrangements.

Cyber risks remain covered under existing mutual arrangements, although owners are encouraged to assess their specific exposures with their Clubs and underwriters.

The International Group of P&I Clubs is a collective of thirteen P&I Clubs that together provide marine liability insurance cover for approximately 90% of the world's ocean-going tonnage through its pooling agreement. The Group's pooling arrangements allow member Clubs to share large claims collectively, ensuring that shipowners have access to substantial coverage limits for third-party liabilities.

The IMO's MASS Code categorizes autonomous vessels into different degrees of autonomy, ranging from ships with automated processes and decision support to fully autonomous, unmanned vessels capable of operating without any human intervention. The regulatory framework addresses safety, security, and environmental considerations specific to each autonomy level.

Several pilot projects and limited commercial deployments of autonomous or remotely operated vessels have already taken place in jurisdictions including Norway, Japan, and Singapore. The IG's decision means such vessels can now be brought within the same liability pooling structure that covers conventional shipping, provided they meet club and regulatory requirements. How individual clubs price and underwrite the unique risk profiles of unmanned vessels — and how claims experience develops during the non-mandatory phase of the MASS Code — will be closely watched across the maritime and insurance sectors.

Source: Ship & Bunker