Tag: STM Validation

After seven years of efforts, the port call message format validated within the PortCDM testbeds, as part of the STM Validation project, has now been been adopted by the International PortCDM Council and endorsed by IALA as a S-211 standard within the IHO Registry.

Although the STM Validation Project was finished on June 30, the Sea Traffic Management, STM, initiative is continued. The project involved more than 300 vessels, 87 organisations, 12 simulator centres assisted by more than 500 mariners,  38 partners from 13 countries joined by 37 associate partners from around the world.

As part of the Sea Traffic Management STM Validation project Costa Crociere, part of Carnival Corporation, incorporated Costa and Aida ships to exchange information with other actors, using STM supported standardised formats and interfaces. After verifying operations with these first ships, the rest of the Carnival Corporation fleet has now been added.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) approved a proposal for a new work item based on the experiences with the Voyage Information Service, developed within Sea Traffic Management. The aim of the new work item to secure interoperability and standardize how data is exchanged. 

Today's ports calls are increasing to be more and more inefficient, according to a study. Yet, cross-industry collaboration and data sharing are the ones to potentially enhance the fleet and capacity utilization. As the Global Maritime Forum reports, the study presented an analysis of nine European ports, meaning four ports in the Mediterranean and five ports in the Nordic region.

Sea Traffic Management (STM) is able to make just-in-time operations in shipping possible, on a global perspective. This is a key element to achieve IMO's goals on GHG emissions reduction. In the meantime, STM data send navigational warnings to ECDS making navigation safer.

When sailing in the Gulf of Bothnia, which is full of ice, many additional concerns compared to sailing in a plain liquid sea will occur. The thickness of the ice affects the speed and the fuel consumption of the vessel, while there is always the risk of getting stuck. Sea Traffic Management, through the Winter Navigation Service, aims to give a solution to this problems and help ships navigate safely.

STM published a video summarizing what has been done until now and what is to happen. Namely, STM aspires to enable a good port call, just-in-time arrival and a fast turnaround. Now STM has set the base and aims to develop in order to help shipping evolve. STM now wants to further develop its services to improve safety, efficiency and situation awareness.

Often charter parties allocate risks in a way that creates a conflict between economic and environmental efficiency. To address this issue, STM and BIMCO were working to encourage the exchange of information under the STM concept while also permitting parties to agree on a contractual arrangement.

During the STM Validation Project Final Conference at the IMO, in London, the IMO Secretary General Kitack Lim supported the STM. Specifically, Mr. Lim stated that STM goes hand in hand with IMO goals. Kitack Lim encouraged the project to submit its results to IMO at the next possible committee meeting.