Tankers not ready for ECDIS mandate

SOLAS regulations require all tankers of 3,000 gross tonnes or more to carry ECDIS. Of the 8,750-plus tankers in the global fleet required to comply with these regulations by their first survey following this date, 54% are now using ENCs (Electronic Nautical Charts) on ECDIS.

Progress has been made in recent months, says the UKHO, with the global ‘ECDIS readiness’ figure having risen from 42% in September 2014 to the current figure of 54%. However over 4,000 tankers representing the remaining 46% of the global tanker fleet are not yet using an ENC service.

“The international tanker community has made significant progress towards ensuring that it is ready for the SOLAS regulations on ECDIS carriage that came into force in July. However, we also recognise that a large proportion of the fleet, comprising over 4,000 tankers, is not yet using an ENC service and therefore not yet ready to comply with the mandatory carriage of ECDIS,” said Thomas Mellor, head of OEM technical support and digital standards, UKHO.

“Even allowing for exemptions and the grace period until their first survey after 1 July 2015, which could be up to 12 months later, this is a considerable undertaking and the ECDIS supply chain can expect to come under considerable pressure in the coming months,” he added.

The UKHO data also reveals a number of disparities in the adoption of ECDIS between different elements of the global tanker fleet. Around 83% of LNG tankers are currently using an ENC service, compared to 70% of crude oil tankers and 36% of product tankers. All three categories have shown a substantial improvement in ECDIS readiness since September 2014, says the UKHO.

“Tanker owners and operators that have not yet planned for the adoption of ECDIS should address this immediately in order to make the transition in a safe, timely manner and avoid the risks of non-compliance. From an operational, commercial and reputational perspective, the consequences of failing to comply with the ECDIS regulations – and therefore the SOLAS Convention – can be severe,” Mellor added.

Meanwhile, the International Hydrograpic Organization (IHO) has published updated versions of some of its ECDIS standards to coincide with the arrival of new International Electrotechnical Commission testing specifications for ECDIS type approval (IEC 61174) . The new version of IHO Standard 52, on specifications for chart content and display aspects (and associated presentation library), Standard 63, introducing a new data protection scheme, and Standard 64 on ECDIS test data sets will enter force on 15 August 2015, the same data as IEC 61174.

There will be a twelve-month transitional period when the current editions of S-52 and S-64 will remain valid. The transition period, ending on 31 July 2016, is intended to provide time for ECDIS manufacturers and national authorities to move towards type approval of new ECDIS based on the revised standards, and to enable ship owners and operators to update existing systems to conform with the standards

Mellor added: “One of the biggest benefits of upgrading ECDIS systems to the latest S-52 presentation library will be a reduction in the number of audible alarms triggered by ECDIS, helping ease the issue of alarm fatigue on the bridge, whilst still maintaining safety at sea. The introduction of an alert model, based on the requirements in the IMO ECDIS Performance Standard, will also harmonize ECDIS behaviour across different manufacturers’ systems.”

A number of significant changes to the library reflect mariner feedback. For example, the names of fairways and anchorage areas will now appear on the ENC display. A ‘hover-over’ function for certain charted features has also been introduced, and several new symbols help draw attention to features including the location of automatic ENC updates and ENC features that have a time-based attribute.

The UKHO says it will continue to support the industry, as it adopts digital navigation, through the free ‘Living with ECDIS’ global seminar programme and ECDIS-specific ADMIRALTY Publications. Further information on both is available from any ADMIRALTY Chart Agent.