The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced that Italy now approves the use of e-Nautical Publications (e-NPs) and ADMIRALTY Digital Publications (ADP) in place of paper equivalents.
This decision means that Italian-flagged ships can now take advantage of the greater efficiency and accuracy offered by e-NPs and ADP whilst continuing to meet their SOLAS carriage requirements. Benefits of these products include fast electronic updates and easier access to important information mariners need, reducing workload on board and the risk of human error during passage planning tasks.The Italian flag currently flies on over 1,300 ships, including 537 vessels over 2,000 GT. As a result of Italy’s approval, 81% of the global fleet is now authorised to use digital publications in an electronic format in place of their paper equivalents to meet the carriage requirements of the SOLAS Convention.
Christine Trickett, Senior Product Manager (Software and Publications) at the UKHO, commented:
“We are delighted that Italy has become the latest Flag States to approve the use of e-NPs and ADP to meet SOLAS carriage requirements. This means that all ships under an Italian flag can now benefit from e-NPs and ADP, and the speed, security and accuracy they provide to bridge crews. Furthermore, 81% of the global fleet can now draw upon the benefits of the digital versions of these vital publications.