Wärtsilä digitises largest container port in Maghreb
Finland-based technology company Wärtsilä will develop the next generation of Port Management Information System for Tanger Med, the largest container facility in Maghreb. The digitised system, among other things, will improve operational efficiency and port safety.
Tanger Med Port Authority, which operates the largest container in Maghreb (around 5.8 million TEU in 2020), has established a partnership with Wärtsilä, the Finnish technology company. This action is dedicated to deploying modern Smart Port tools for port operations and digitalisation including implementing Just-In-Time (JIT) solutions, machine learning and artificial intelligence as well as other innovative solutions.
“Tanger Med Port has planned for a full and comprehensive smart port upgrade that includes not only an extensive range of our existing Ship Traffic Control products but also new solutions that will enter the market later in 2021, such as Wärtsilä Navi-Port and AIM (Advanced Intelligent Manoeuvring),” said Bruce Mills, Business Development STC at Wärtsilä Voyage, a dedicated division of the Finnish group.
New PMIS solution
Within the partnership, Wärtsilä will optimise the Port Management Information System (PMIS) of Tanger Med. In 12 months, the Finnish company will deliver to the Moroccan port Wärtsilä Navi-Harbour VTS System that comprises PortLink Port Management Information System, IALA Advanced Coastal Surveillance Radars, VHF Radio Sub-System, Automatic Identification System, Operator Workstation, Network Systems, Ancillary Equipment. Moreover, Wärtsilä will also provide a five-year service of the system.
“Improving operational efficiency, better port-call organisation and reducing congestion and emissions will be critical as port traffic increases,” noted said Alex Van Knotsenborg, Director Global Sales at Wärtsilä Voyage. Therefore, this project takes the upgrades a further notch up with not only the new Wärtsilä Navi-Harbour VTS System but through the installation of Wärtsilä Navi-Port, which enables Just-in-Time (JIT) arrival. JIT reduces the need for vessels to wait at anchorage, bringing down congestion and the risk of collisions, also lessening greenhouse gas and carbon emissions. Furtermore, the new PMIS digitalises the entire port-call process, reducing chances of human error and increasing efficiencies.