Wärtsilä Voyage has successfully completed its first commercial installation of its WebVTS 5.0 software application with a system to monitor the Wintershall Noordzee wind farm writes Dag Pike.
This Wärtsilä software system is designed to provide greater safety for offshore installations. The Wärtsilä Navi-Harbour WebVTS features an early warning system that is designed to avoid collisions between the offshore platforms and any vessels operating in their vicinity. It works by providing remote access to Automatic Identification System (AIS) or Vessel traffic Service (VTS) data sources to maintain constant and full situational awareness, utilising a standard Internet browser. The WebVTS decision support tools effectively mitigate potential marine hazards and risks. The application also supports navigational maps, traffic management tools, ship history, and it can work in various languages.
Manué Gerrits, the Central Control Room Supervisor with Wintershall Noordzee commented, "Wintershall Noordzee’s North Sea offshore facilities operate in challenging sea and weather conditions. A high number of ships, such as ferries, fishing vessels, offshore suppliers and guard vessels, are operating in the southern part of the North Sea and transiting to the major North European ports. We therefore require the highest levels of safety for both the installations and the crews manning them. For this reason, we selected Wärtsilä’s Navi-Harbour WebVTS 5.0 software solution, the very latest available solution of its type, to enable analysis of alerts based on AIS information. This provides us with a sophisticated and reliable means of maintaining situational awareness,"
“The system makes it possible for vessels in the vicinity of the platforms to be visible, not only locally but also in Wintershall Noordzee’s Central Control Room (CCR) located in Den Helder. In addition, the historical record generated by the system can be used later for playback and analysis, helping to drive continuous improvement of future operational efficiency,” said Charles Wyng, North Europe Sales, Wärtsilä Voyage.
Following the successful completion of this project, Wintershall Noordzee’s early warning system has been significantly upgraded. The Wärtsilä solution features the latest technology for providing an integrated overview of the traffic situation in any area covered by existing Wärtsilä VTS or AIS monitoring systems. The delivered package included training and maintenance.
