The Hindu Business Line : Modern vessel management system for Kochi port

With the ever-growing sea trade, a large number of ports in developed countries use the Vessel Traffic Management System, employing multi-radar and multi-sensor techniques. The Kochi Port Trust is to follow suit.

The Kochi Port Trust is on fast track to emerge as the most modern facility in the countryAs part of its modernisation programme, the port is to have an advanced Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS).

Capt Subhash Kumar, Deputy Chairman of the port, said there is need for a good VTMS as the demand on safe navigation has increased especially in the confined waters of ports, harbours, anchorages and harbour approaches with heavier and faster ships. He said that most of the ships had standard complements of navigational aids such as satellite navigation system, GPS, Omega, Gyro, echo sounders and automatic radar plotting system for plying in the open sea.

Rise in marine accidents

However, marine accidents involving large oil tankers have increased especially in restricted waters and approaches to ports. The conventional system of guiding the shipping traffic using buoys, beacons, light-houses and traffic separation schemes is inadequate. Therefore, a harbour- or shore-based system for safe vessel guidance and control had become a necessity. Many of the busy ports of the world had started using automatic radar processing techniques and the system of multi radar configuration in the early 1980s, he said.

Also, the conventional navigational aids had been replaced with sophisticated communication systems relying on satellites and computers. The sizes of vessels have also grown over time and very large crude carriers to super Panamax vessels have been developed. Today, with ever-growing sea trade, a large number of ports in the developed countries have VTMS, employing multi-radar and multi-sensor techniques. The marine traffic control has undergone a sea change from the Port Control having blind VHF-Harbour chart method through single-look radar reports to the vast range of services available with a VTMS.

Vessel Traffic System

In the initial stages, Capt Kumar said, it was the Vessel Traffic System (VTS) whereby ships were tracked on the radar screen and were kept on radio contact with the VTS operator during their passage through the narrow channels or restricted waters of the port until their safe transit. During the transit period, the VTS operator warned these ships in good time of any impending danger or fault in the navigation. The ship, in turn, could inform him of any machinery failure on board so that assistance could be arranged in the shortest time.

With technological advances, the VTS centres were linked by computers directly to decision-makers, who could take quick decisions and remedial measures in case some thing went wrong with the ship. Real time information was also employed for Management Information System (MIS). The entire system of VTS and MIS was thus termed VTMS.

Besides the details about a ship, the VTMS is also designed to gather hydrological data on tides and currents at a given location and also meteorological information such as wind speed/direction, temperature and humidity. This information is invaluable for safely navigating a large ship in the confined waters of the ports. Also, the International Maritime Organisation has made it mandatory for every ship to be equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS), which would enable a VTMS if interfaced with AIS to identify every ship that enters the port limits even without contacting on radio. This would enhance security and safety of the port.

Uses and Functions of VTMS

Collection of radio and radar information about ship.

Detection, identification, tracking, safety of navigation.

Gathering hydrological information such as tides and currents at a given location.

Disseminating information to the navigating ships as and when required.

Establishing contact with the incoming ship within 20-30 nautical miles range as soon as it is tracked by the system and obtaining the exact time of arrival and other data for scheduling docking programme.

Monitoring vessel traffic movement in the entire harbour with special reference to vessels anchored at the anchorage and those moving in the navigational channel.

Providing information to ensure safe navigation and protection of environment.

Providing information for fixing responsibility and accountability.

Detecting the movement of any unauthorised or unscheduled vessels in harbour, increasing security and safety levels.

Providing necessary data to other sub-system of the computerised Management Information System.

Recording data for administrative purpose, and planning.

Providing meteorological information including detection of storms.

According to Capt Kumar, VTMS helps in tracking ships that cause pollution and also in discouraging maritime fraud by monitoring them from the time they enter Indian waters till they depart. It also helps in integration with port MIS for customer support, cargo container administration. VTMS, according to him, is an excellent decision-making tool for Port Control Officers.