The port of Callao will implement Wärtsilä’s Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) by January 2021 to reduce ship accidents
This will use radar, cameras and radio communications to help port operators manage shipping traffic.
Wärtsilä VTS technology should ensure uninterrupted harbour operations and increase safety levels in a port challenged by dense fog and haze, which reduces visual navigation and delays port berthings.
Wärtsilä Marine secured the contract to provide this VTS from the Peruvian Maritime Authority in December 2019.
The authority’s director of contracts and material procurement José Antonio San Martín said weather conditions in the port were an increasing challenge.
“Fog and maritime awareness are something we have to deal with a lot and safety is a constant concern, which is why we turned to Wärtsilä,” he said. “The Wärtsilä VTS will greatly improve operations in the port of Callao.”
A range of technologies will be deployed by Wärtsilä in the port, including solid-state ship tracking radar, long-range thermal imaging, precise global positioning for pilotage operations, high and very-high frequency communications and data analysis.
Wärtsilä Marine senior sales manager Eduardo Rosiello said this VTS will be integrated with a Wärtsilä-provided port management information system and will have smart CCTV tracking.
“Our system will significantly improve the port’s efficiency by integrating high-end Wärtsilä products and technologies,” said Mr Rosiello. “It is a clear example of our ‘Smart Marine’ approach to raising efficiency and safety levels.”
Wärtsilä’s VTS enables ship traffic movements to be controlled using electro-optical equipment and sensors, weather information, radar and shore-to-ship communications, all connected to a single, central operating system.
This is supported by software and automated self-learning decision support technologies.
Wärtsilä said its VTS software has extensive functionalities, while its VTS solution is modular, scalable and accessible for future upgrade developments.
It has deployed more than 300 vessel traffic management systems in 70 countries around the world.
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