These tankers will take part in the STM BALT Safe project for exchanging route information between ships and ports. This project is piloting new operational services based on STM concepts that improve data sharing and enhance navigation safety.

More than 400 ships already have the capability to share routes through their ECDIS to other ships and ports. Next, the focus will be on increasing tankers’ navigation safety.

For this, STM BALT Safe project is signing up 50 tankers that frequently sail in the Baltic Sea and upgrading their ECDIS for route information sharing.

Wärtsilä Voyage won the contract to upgrade ECDIS on these ships. Wärtsilä Voyage director Torsten Büssow said tanker owners can securely share route information with vessel traffic system (VTS) operators in the region by upgrading ECDIS.

“We believe standardised information sharing is an important key to improving safety and efficiency in the shipping industry,” said Mr Büssow.

During this STM project, Saab-based VTS in Estonia, Navielektro-based VTS in Finland and the new VTS-system in Sweden will be able receive and send route plans to vessels.

This will enable e-navigation services, such as route cross-check and risk situation alerts, to improve tanker safety.

Information is transferred via automatic information systems (AIS) between ships. It is shared between ships and shore through the Maritime Digital Infrastructure.

STM BALT Safe project ship testbed manager Cajsa Jersler Fransson expects these tanker ECDIS upgrades to be part of a voyage towards a more connected future.

“With installations happening this year, we will be able to analyse data from the interaction between ships and between ships and shore,” Mr Fransson said.

Source: rivieramm