Holland-based Fugro announced that has been awarded a total of six contracts by the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) of Papua New Guinea, to conduct surveys that are expected to improve the safety and efficiency of the country’s international and national shipping in coastal areas and waterways.
As the company explains, the surveys will be conducted utilising a combination of Fugro’s Airborne LiDAR Bathymetry (ALB) and multibeam echo sounder (MBES) sensors. A seamless dataset will be delivered to the NMSA. In deeper waters, the surveys will be performed by vessel and Fugro will also conduct a comprehensive tides campaign throughout the survey area.
The contracts are part of the Asian Development Bank-funded Maritime Waterways Safety Project. By improving the maritime environment and making coastal shipping safer, the project will facilitate travel, trade and tourism for rural communities. The project is expected to contribute to capacity development in the country, which has over 5,000 kilometres of coastline.
“As a pioneer of ALB development, Fugro has a solid track record in applying this advanced technology for mapping shallow water environments safely and cost- effectively,” commented Paul Seaton, Fugro’s Regional Business Development Manager for Asia Pacific.
