Contracts for under keel clearance system

OMC has recently won further contracts for customised DUKC systems in the Port of Melbourne, Cape Lambert and the international waters of Torres Strait. It entered the North American market with a trial system at the Columbia River Bar. OMC has also won a major Canadian contract to install a DUKC system for the draught-restricted section of the St Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City. This system is expected to be operational next year as part of Montreal Port Authority’s and the Canadian Coast Guard’s integrated e-Navigation solution for the St Lawrence River, which is one of the world’s largest inland waterways.

The Canadian contract represents a new direction for OMC because it brings a broader, collaborative industry approach to solving navigation problems. OMC will team with two Canadian sub-contractors in this project, NavSim, the PPU suppliers to the pilots, and XST, the Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS) suppliers to the Canadian Coast Guard. The Canadian Hydrographic Services will also participate in the project by providing environmental and bathymetric data for the St Lawrence DUKC system.

“Since we extended our shore-based DUKC technology to operate in transit on ship based portable pilot units (PPUs), DUKC has increasingly been regarded as an e-Nav tool installed for risk management, which is a major mind shift from the early days when it was the increased efficiency that was the drawcard,” said OMC executive director Dr Terry O’Brien.