Slow on the uptake

Despite the considerable benefits of electronic chart display and information systems, take up by the industry has been unhurried

There can be no question about the advantages that an electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) offers the navigator. “However, broad acceptance of ECDIS on SOLAS vessels is still far from being a reality,” says Andrey Vorobiev, director of Transas? navigation business unit.

“Often we come across large tankers, carrying huge amounts of hazardous cargo through congested areas, without any of the benefits offered by modern information technology and electronic chart systems.”

So, why is the industry so reluctant to accept advanced technological solutions that are readily available and offer indisputable benefits? Vorobiev believes that there are two reasons. The first is that the industry isn?t yet properly familiar with or convinced about all the advantages of the new technology. This is echoed by Barry Morgan, marketing services and communications manager for Kelvin Hughes, who says: “There are still people who are asking why they need them, what it does and why it has taken so long time to happen.”

Progress

The second is that legislative, financial and activity coordination issues need to be solved before any significant progress can be achieved on the industry scale. Vorobiev says: “Unfortunately, it remains common for ship operators to consider ECDIS as a mere facility to display electronic charts and replace their current stock of paper charts. Not being able to see the real benefits, such ship operators are reluctant to commit deploying ECDIS on board their fleets.” Morgan points out that one of the problems is appreciating the costs and savings, as updating charts electronically will save a navigator time but someone still has to be there. “If it got rid of the navigator altogether then owners would probably be more inclined to fit the system.”

While there is no legislative requirement to fit an ECDIS, Morgan says: “It?s nice to have and if you relay an ECDIS into your autopilot you?re going to benefit because of the fuel savings. Autopilots, however, can do nearly as good a job.” “Legislative, financial and activity coordination issues need to be solved before any significant progress can be achieved on the industry scale,” says Vorobiev. He explains that there are problems as the use of ECDIS is not officially required and the date of its mandatory introduction has not yet been specified. Even more importantly, the constantly changing development standards for ECDIS make its production an expensive exercise for manufacturers wanting to offer a compliant product.

Vorobiev concludes: “In spite of the obvious benefits to navigators, full technical availability and reasonable cost, the penetration of ECDIS and IT technologies onto ship’s bridges progresses very slowly.

To speed-up the process and bring the shipping industry onto a higher technology level joint effort by all parties involved is required.” However, Morgan warns that electronic charts alone are not the entire solution. “A lot of investment has been put into this area but we need electronic navigational chart (ENC) data to be freely available for the whole world. Once that comes in ECDIS might take off.”