EfficientFlow - Making STM Happen
In STM EfficientFlow, the Baltic ports of Rauma and Gävle implement efficient port calls using real-time information. Improved traffic flow converts unsafe waiting times into bunker savings for large ships in the narrow Swedish and Finnish archipelagos.
The key strategic STM enabler Flow Management is implemented and evaluated in real use and the enabler Port Collaborative Decision Making is made operational in two ports, perhaps the first in the world. EfficientFlow has a total budget of 4.5 million euro and runs from 2018-2020.
The project is organised in two work packages:
Port Flow Optimisation
The ports of Rauma and Gävle will each implement port collaboration solutions enabling coordinated port call planning among the port actors, helping each actor to optimise resource utilisation. The solution will also help synchronisation of the port call with the arriving ships and with hinterland operations.
The Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, SAMK, is leading the work package from their campus in Rauma. Commercial solutions for port collaborative decision making will be procured in Gävle and Rauma respectively. All actors in the port cluster will be involved and the container terminal operators Yilport and Europort see the value-add from the Project as a complement their investments in the physical infrastructure.
Ship Flow Optimisation
The flow management part of the project uses the shared real-time voyage plans from the Ro-Pax ferries and other traffic between Finland and Sweden for better timing at the many narrow passages where only one ship at a time can pass. The goal is to eliminate all waiting times at those passages, which is a safety risk in itself, and instead adjust speed to always arrive when those passages are free to use. This will definitely save bunker fuel and emissions and possibly reduce erosion.
The Swedish Maritime Administration, SMA, is leading the work package. The Swedish VTS in Södertälje and the Finnish VTS in Turku will support all ships with (or without) STM-enabled navigation systems.
Facts About EfficientFlow
- Private, public and academic sector involved
- 4.5 million euro budget
- Central Baltic focus
- Co-financed by the European Union
- Starting March 1, 2018 and running till the end of October 2020
- Other partners: Swedish Maritime Administration, Satakunta University of Applied Sciences, Port of Rauma, Port of Gävle
Results Ship Flow Optimisation - How to implement an Efficient Flow environment in confined waterways
In the Interreg Central Baltic funded project “Efficient Flow”, ECDISes, Portable Pilot Units and VTS systems were developed to be able to exchange routes with each other in order to very accurately calculate where in the fairway, canal or other confined water ships will be meeting each other. Relevant information on how the “system” works can be found in the documents, links and movie clips below.
Documents:
EfficientFlow Technical Requirements – Specific Efficient flow technical requirements on Portable Pilot Units (PPU), ECDIS and VTS systems
Efficient Flow Use cases – Use Cases used to develop the requirements in “EfficientFlow Technical Requirements” and to describe information flow
STM technical specification version 2.0 – In order to be able to implement Efficient Flow functionality the ECDIS/PPU/VTS need to be STM Compatible, to be STM compatible the system need to fulfil these (STM technical specification version 2.0) requirements.
STM Voyage Management use cases and Test protocol – Use Cases used to develop the requirements in “STM technical specification version 2.0” and also test protocol used to test if the system is fulfilling the requirements in “Appendix 3 STM technical specification version 2.0”
SeaSWIM Specification and Forecast – In order to fulfil “STM technical specification version 2.0” information from this document is needed, the information in this document describes the maritime digital infrastructure in STM
STM AIS Route Exchange Standard – In order to fulfil “STM technical specification version 2.0” information from this document is needed, the information in this document describes the ship-to-ship routes sharing using AIS
Route Planning process Flowchart – In order to fulfil “STM technical specification version 2.0” information from this document is needed, the information in this document describes the Route Planning process.
EfficientFlow Test Checklist –Test checklist, used to test if the system is fulfilling the requirements in “EfficientFlow Technical Requirements”
Source Code EFHS POC – As is Source code for the Efficient Flow Hub Service
Efficient Flow Final Conference Presentation (Ship Flow Optimisation) – PowerPoint presentation regarding meeting point functionality developed and tested in Efficient Flow Project
Efficient Flow Project Final Report – Results from Efficient Flow Project
See also Efficient Flow Port Activity App and download Port Activity Rauma for Android here or for iOS here. The application is made as open source, see documentation: https://port-activity.github.io
Useful Links:
Instruction Video showing meeting point functionality implemented in PPU
For more information: www.efficientflow.eu
