SAFE NAVIGATION IN THE PORTS OF BALTIC SEA REGION (SAFENAV)
Description of the project
Maritime traffic in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) has remarkably increased during the recent
decade, and is predicted to continue growing. In the past years the number of accidents has
shown signs of increase. According to HELCOM’s annual report on shipping accidents in the
Baltic Sea in 2013, 19% of the accidents are located in port approach and as much as 26% in
ports. The main causes of accidents are human element and technical failure but there isn’t
clear knowledge available stating how many of these accidents were caused due to
complicated weather conditions.
In the BSR and at PSSA (Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas) it's important to ensure safe shipping
during the voyage on the open sea and during port operations. Different weather
characteristics like wind speed and direction, wave height and currents are relatively well
presented on the open sea, but not so well in the port areas, where the most difficult
manouevering operations take place. Nowadays, information about weather is collected from
a wide range of sources – vessels’ own measurement devices, online weather portals, NAVTEX,
via e-mails by shipping companies etc. During gathering this information, it showed that data
about ports specific and real time weather characteristics is not widely available and reaching
to the ships. Therefore, the maritime market shows a clear need for the development of
solution helping to distribute weather information more effectively. This project aims at filling
these gaps by developing a weather decision support system for the port areas that offers aid
in decision making to ports’ traffic managers, pilots and seafarers.
Since ports have various berth layouts and mooring facilities, ships are exposed to different
wind, current and swell conditions. Therefore, in addition to presenting existing real time
weather data, we aim at adding additional novel technology based measurement systems
(cost-effective currents flow meter and real time wave information from X-band marine
radars) to agreed partner ports to get the overview of the local current and wave field of the
port areas.
As a result, SafeNav decision support system is tested and verified in partner ports around the
Baltic Sea. An important part of SafeNav is the development of the sustainability strategy that
shows how the system could be distributed and implemented into wider use after the end of
the project, first of all in the BSR. Also an analysis of users’ feedback will be carried out to
improve the system accordingly. It is planned to integrate the SafeNav project results into
ongoing EU projects like EfficienSea2 and STM Validation, as well as making weather
information more widely useable through Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Electronic
Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).
The duration of the initial implementation period of the Project Safe Navigation in the Ports
of Baltic Sea is 36 months.
Contribution to the EUSBSR Action Plan
It is in the interest of all the Baltic Sea Region countries to reduce the risk of maritime
accidents. Since maritime transport is constantly increasing in the Baltic Sea and, the principles
of safe shipping are becoming more essential for the region. Ports navigational safety decision
support system development is contributing to implementing one of the EUSBSR
cornerstones: save the sea and its’ sub-objective clean and safe shipping. The outcome of
SafeNav contributes into aiding to prevent accidents in shipping starting and ending in the
ports.
We are aiming at preventing dangerous situations by making real-time weather information
more easily accessible with the addition of decision support to ports, pilots, seafarers in one
of the busiest shipping regions in the whole world.
In line with longer perspective the improvement of weather decision support system will have
benefits to the e-navigation as well. These benefits appear through wider integration of ports
weather decision support system outputs into the ongoing projects developments – i.e.
EfficienSea2 and STM Validation. SafeNav project creates the opportunity for ports to develop
and test new equipment in project cooperation with universities and public authorities. This
may result in major technological progress which improves ports navigational safety and aims
to reduce the number of shipping accidents in the ports and approaching fairways.
Additionally, project aims to increase the efficiency of ports and reduce pilots’, seafarers’ and
port traffic managers’ workload used for collecting the weather related information.
Involved partners
SafeNav consortium includes all together 12 project partners from 5 countries around the
Baltic Sea:
Tallinn University of Technology, that is participating with 3 departments: Estonian
Maritime Academy as the lead partner, Marine Systems Institute and Centre for
Biorobotics
Maritime Institute in Gdansk, that is involving testbed from Poland
Finnish Geospatial Research Institute
Transas Baltic SIA
Port of Tallinn
Saarte Liinid Ltd
The Freeport of Riga
Baltic Ports Organisation
Motus Foundation
Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre
Maritime University of Szczecin
Danish Maritime Authority
Associated partners:
Swedish Maritime Administration
Estonian Maritime Administration
Saatja: Rene Arikas
Saatmisaeg: 14. detsember 2016. a. 20:44
Adressaat: Keiu Leopard
Teema: FW: SafeNav projekti toetuskiri
Manused: SafeNav_intro for letter of support.pdf;
SafeNav_template_letter_of_support
(002).doc
PPsse
From: Madli Kopti [mailto:
[email protected]]
Sent: Wednesday, December 14, 2016 3:38 PM
To: Rene Arikas <
[email protected]>
Cc: Kadi Kasep�ld <
[email protected]>
Subject: SafeNav projekti toetuskiri
Tere Rene,
M��dunud kuul k�isime Jarmoga kohtumisel VA-s, kus oli arutelu all
SafeNav projekt ning v�imalik VA
osalus antud projektis. Meil j�i kokkulepe, et otseselt projekti
partneriks VA ei liitu, aga assotsieerunud
partnerina oleksite n�us osalema.
Kuna suhtlesime sinuga vahetult otse antud teemal, siis saadan sulle
toetuskirja p�hja ning projekti
tutvustuse, mida saaks toetuskirja aluseks v�tta. Palun anna teada, kas
VA on omalt poolt valmis
toetuskirja SafeNAV projektile andma ning esmast tagasisidet ootaksime
esimesel v�imalusel.
Allkirjastatud toetuskirja v�rvilist koopiat sooviksime hiljemalt
10.01.17, kuid alati v�ib ka varem.
Seniks soovin sulle kaunist j�uluaega ning �nnestumisi uuel 2017 aastal.
Heade soovidega,
Madli
------------------------------
Arendusdirektor
TT� Eesti Mereakadeemia
GSM +372 55 66 21 33
[email protected]
www.ttu.ee/mereakadeemia
Kopli 101, 11712 Tallinn, ruum 201
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EestiMereakadeemia
<Official logo of the organization>
PLACE, dd.12.2016
LETTER OF SUPPORT
regarding the project
“Safe Navigation in the Ports of Baltic Sea”
To whom it may concern,
<Name of the organisation> hereby expresses its support to the project “Safe Navigation in the
Ports of Baltic Sea (SafeNav)” led by Tallinn University of Technology from Estonia and its
application for funding submitted under the joint Baltic Sea development and cooperation
programme (INTERREG Baltic Sea Region) 2014-2020 second call priority “3. Sustainable
Transport”, sub-priority “3.3 Maritime Safety”.
<Name of the organisation> is contributing into developing and maintaining efficient and safe
maritime transport in the Baltic Sea Region. Therefore, the SafeNav project goals are in line with
our main fields of activity. Especially, we acknowledge SafeNav project consortium aiming to
improve weather measurement technologies and provide solutions enabling seafarers, pilots and
ports to increase situational awareness and take weather related decisions in a more operational
way, as well as contributing into ports navigational safety at the same time.
In case the SafeNav project is funded by the INTERREG Baltic Sea Region programme, we will
follow its implementation and support in achieving the planned results by sharing our knowledge
and experience, as well as provide advice and guidance. Additionally, we intend to support the
project in awareness raising and dissemination via our own communication channels.
Yours Sincerely,
<Name>
<Position >