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Sea Traffic Management System Tested on Stena Germanica

Stena Germanica

Published Aug 22, 2017 5:00 AM by The Maritime Executive

The E.U. STM Validation project has successfully installed the first Sea Traffic Management compatible bridge systems, connecting ships with shore based services. 

The STM project is a follow on from the E.U.-funded MONALISA 2.0 project which developed a system that enables vessel route information to be shared between ships and centers on shore.

The ships equipped are Stena Germanica and two rescue vessels from Swedish Sea Rescue Society: Rescue Märta Collin and Rescue 11-00. Stena Germanica, while on route from Gothenburg to Kiel, automatically shared her route with the two rescue vessels, and at the same time received their routes and displayed them on the ECDIS.

All available functions are working flawlessly, including route optimization and synchronized port calls. The route message format used, developed as a part of the STM Validation project, is transmitted to other ships over ordinary AIS, improving the common situational awareness. The officer of the watch will see up to seven route segments of other ships, allowing him or her to predict meeting points, determine the closest point of approach, the time it will happen and at an early stage identify and avoid close situations. 

Lars Littke, volunteer and Coxswain on Märta Collin says: “This route sharing operation is very simple with the STM infrastructure and can be useful in real rescue operations. The capability to broadcast and share transport- and entry-routes into an area as well as routes for search patterns is a great improvement. It will simplify communication, make SAR operations more efficient and hopefully save more lives.”

Anders Rydlinger, Director for Ship Solutions at Transas, says: “Through information sharing between ship and shore using the Maritime Cloud/ SeaSWIM infrastructure, we are creating a cohesive community, which enables better communications and joined-up decision making. This leads to higher operational standards, greater environmental performance, increased efficiency and improved safety record.”

 The STM test bed will include 300 ships, 13 ports and at least five shore centers. The STM Validation Project encompasses 39 partners (private, public and academic) from 13 countries and with a total budget of 43 million Euros ($45 million). The project will run from 2015 to 2018.