Singapore and Norway continue the close corporation for future digital solutions for efficient and sustainable maritime transport
During the Singapore Maritime Week, the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore, together with the SESAME Solution II project and the Norwegian Coastal Administration, have signed a Letter of Intent to cooperate in research and testbed activities in Singapore.
SESAME Solution II is an e-navigation testbed project, currently in the second year of its three year project duration. The aim of the project is to digitize several maritime services to improve shared situational awareness and increase non-linear collaborative decision support. The ultimate result of the project will be a comprehensive e-navigation solution based on international standards and inter-operable with other e-navigation solutions. SESAME Solution II will be at the forefront of e-navigation development.
SESAME Solution II is partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council’s MAROFF programme, while the Singapore Maritime Institute’s SMI Fund and MPA’s MINT Fund will be utilized, as appropriate, to support the Singapore research and innovation activities. The aim of the project is to promote safer navigation and reduce the administrative burden for both Vessel Traffic Service operators and bridge teams by harmonizing and digitally sharing information, including automated ship reporting to a maritime single window, further developing a just-in-time arrival service that coordinates arrivals with port services, such as pilots, tugs, and berth availability.
Berth to berth e-navigation solutions while ensuring interoperability
To ensure safe and efficient worldwide ship traffic through using e-navigation solutions, interoperability is of the essence. Ships and VTS shore centres must be able to digitally communicate to each other regardless of the system providers at either end. The technology developed and testbedded in SESAME Solution II will utilize the latest available S-100 standards, as well as collaborate with other e-navigation testbed projects and programs to test interoperability in several parts of the world, including Norway, UK and Singapore.
“We have an excellent mix of partners in SESAME who will enable us to showcase berth-to-berth e-navigation solutions on both ship and shore, as well as the communication medium, including terrestrial and satellite VDES,” says Todd Schuett, the Project Manager. “We are very fortunate to have the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency of the UK, the Port of Southampton and now the MPA in Singapore as testbed participants. Along with the ships we have identified, we will have a wide variety of operator feedback, which is invaluable for developing systems that work in real life as well as achieve the goals of the project,” Mr. Schuett continues.
E-navigation enabling MASS
In the very near future, e-navigation technologies will move from testbeds into real-world operationals. One of the first adopters will be Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) such as Yara Birkeland, a fully electric, autonomous container feeder which will be deployed in Norwegian waters in 2020. Being able to send digitized information such as Maritime Safety Information and automated ship reporting will be crucial for vessels such as Yara Birkland to operate efficiently and sail safely.
Singapore and SESAME II
“Singapore strongly supports e-Navigation because it can contribute to enhanced navigation safety and efficiency of operations, especially given Singapore’s global hub port status and the increasing traffic in the Singapore Strait,” says Mr David Foo, Director, Ops-Tech Division, MPA. “We are pleased to participate in SESAME Solution II as international cooperation is critical for the operationalisation of e-navigation. Furthermore, the IALA-MPA workshop on Initial Operating Capabilities of e-Navigation Services held in Singapore this week aims to foster the rolling out of Maritime Services within the next two years.”
Dr Sanjay Kuttan, Executive Director, Singapore Maritime Institute said, “SMI welcomes the opportunity to support Singapore-based Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes participation in SESAME Solution II as it raises the bar for our researchers to bring to bear their expertise in contributing to the overall solution and also build their capabilities as they interact with our Norwegian counterparts.”
SESAME Solution II is partly funded by the Norwegian Research Council’s MAROFF program, while Singapore activities will be supported through the Singapore Maritime Institute’s SMI Fund and MPA’s MINT Fund, as appropriate. Kongsberg Norcontrol owns and manages the project, and the project consortium includes Navtor, Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Seatex, the Norwegian Coastal Administration, the Norwegian Maritime Authority, the University of South East Norway, the University of Applied Science in Western Norway, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and SINTEF Ocean. Singapore Research Institutes and Institutes of Higher Learning, together with local industry players will work in close collaboration with the Norwegian project partners for the successful implementation of SESAME Solution II.
For more information, contact Lene Vesterlund, SESAME Solution II Project Owner, Kongsberg Norcontrol, +47 45229900.