Technology group Wartsila will upgrade its Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) installed at Cochin Port Trust. The system was originally delivered in 2008. Over the years, new technologies were added to it, resulting in significant additional benefits flowing to the port.

The upgraded Wartsila VTMS will enable seamless coverage of the port’s radar and automatic identification system (AIS) for traffic monitoring and control, thereby raising the existing safety and efficiency levels. The Navi-Harbour VTS software also provides an interactive and user-friendly interface for the system’s operator.

Wartsila and the port have also signed a five-year Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract (CAMC) for the upgraded system and a six-year CAMC for the existing equipment, a release said.

Ports all around the world are getting busier and a VTMS is essential for ensuring the safety and efficiency of the port’s operations. The existing system at Kochi is completing 11 years of continuous use, during which time the number of vessels visiting the port has increased by more than 35 per cent. The Wartsila VTMS has helped the port to integrate the traffic from major projects, such as the Single Point Mooring (SPM), the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT), and the LNG Terminal, into the existing shipping channels. Because of the continuing growth in shipping traffic, it was necessary to upgrade the VTMS to make it fully technically compliant, and to cope with future requirements, said Joseph Alapat, Dy Conservator of the port.

The upgrading project is scheduled for completion by the end of July 2020.

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