Advanced Technologies That Ship Operators Can Use For Enhanced Security

Waterways are a vital transportation mode for any economic sector or even an entire nation’s economy. A country with well-built ports can easily keep up with international trade through imports and exports.

Italy, home to world-class automobile manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini, generates approximately $30 billion in revenue annually from the export of automobiles and their components, accounting for a sizable portion of its GDP. Japan, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, China, and Singapore rely heavily on the maritime sector. 

International trade experts have estimated that the Ocean economy has a $2.5 trillion export potential, which might help countries recover from the pandemic-driven crisis.

However, the safety of ships has always been a matter of concern. In port, a vessel is just as vulnerable as it is at sea.

Existing Safety and Security Measures

The following measures lead to enhanced ship security-

• All the crew members must be alert at all times. An observant member can detect and solve a problem before it causes distress to the ship.
• The ship personnel should lock all the gates, and visitors should be allowed to enter only after proper checking.
• Each crew member must fulfil their duty to uphold the security level.
• The crew should monitor restricted areas of the ship at regular intervals.
• Monitoring the smooth functioning of the equipment is crucial. Communication equipment should be sufficient and adequately working during the voyage, even during the loading and unloading, for tracking cargo movement.
• All the trained crew members should be able to analyse the problem and act readily in an emergency.

Problems Faced by the Marine Industry

There are both natural and artificial influences that affect the maritime industry. As ships sail across the oceans, the crew’s lives are jeopardised by harsh climatic conditions. Hence, keeping a check on meteorological conditions such as sea state, wind direction, and tidal level is essential.  

Oil spills and ship accidents are other concerns that might endanger ship security. Oil spills jeopardise the lives of marine animals and plants, threatening the aquatic ecosystem.

There has been an upsurge in marine hijacking and piracy in recent years. Illicit trading, unlicensed fishing, human trafficking, and drug smuggling are standard along the global supply chain. Every day, we hear reports of large-scale drug seizures involving cocaine, heroin, LSD, and other hard drugs.

Combatting Problems Using Technology

Battling these concerns requires the implementation of cutting-edge technology. These problems should be tackled as they threaten security and cause economic loss. 

Cargo ships are, without a question, the most sought-after targets for pirates. The shipping sector needs to emphasise cybersecurity as hackers increasingly attempt to access the whole cargo aboard ships. Modern innovations like blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT) can benefit.

Automated technologies in ships are similar to self-driving vehicles like Tesla. A self-driving car has built-in software capable of controlling and managing the vehicle to make critical decisions.

For example, suppose the Tesla Autopilot mode is activated. In that case, the vehicle will use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and computer vision to ensure safety and avoid accidents. 

The advanced technology in the e-vehicle can also identify whether or not the vehicle is being monitored, which is essential for safety reasons. We can build autonomous ships using similar technologies for reducing safety risks, increasing efficiency, and predict potential dangers.

Smart Technologies in the Shipping Industry

1. Smart Ports and Harbour

Ports are invaluable assets for a nation’s shipping industry. More than 80 per cent of goods are shipped via waterways and Solid works trade. Most ports are not modern facilities and are unable to handle congestion. Innovative technologies are a solution to the problem.

 A smart port has automated operations with the use of high-end technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, big data and values obtained from sensors, IoT, and blockchain technology, which aids in efficiently managing and accelerating tasks. 

Popular Smart ports 

The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is creating a digital twin of the port to track ship movements, cargo load, climate, and other geographic and oceanic conditions. This digital twin of the Rotterdam port will increase the efficiency to a large extent by tackling port congestion.

The Port of Busan in South Korea is also transforming into a smart port. Blockchain technology is being implemented for tracking transit cargo to prevent smuggling.

How do Smart Ports Work?

Smart ports are well-equipped with sensors, cameras, and other related devices, fully connected to a server network, creating a wholly integrated communication system. This secured chain of communication allows remote control of heavy machinery and automated port elements, enabling the users to track cargo.

Advantages and Future Developments

Smart Ports contain a chain of efficient machines to carry out the entire task of unloading the cargo from the ships to measuring it and loading it in the carrier trucks and vice versa. Remote-controlled quay trains also carry cargo from one side to another. This process is fully automated and increases productivity by 25 per cent while reducing processing time.

Considerable efforts have been made to develop smart clothing for port personnel and seafarers to ensure safety and allow them to move in AI-driven vehicles. Research is ongoing so the maritime industry can maximise the usage of 5G. Also, smart ports should be cost-efficient. A smart port equipped with Artificial intelligence costs up to 2.7 billion USD.

The construction and maintenance of these facilities will bring forth countless job opportunities. It will unlock a new area of intelligence by harnessing the oceans of data running through them, enhancing on-site safety, security and self-sustainability.

Challenges and Constraints in developing smart ports

There are many challenges to developing smart ports. The high cost of implementing new high-end technologies and the modernisation needed for such a transformation will amount to a hefty sum.

A non-intrusive inspection scanner aids in scanning cargo. It helps track the shipment and costs around 1-15 million USD. A few million dollars are required for the regular maintenance of a smart port. The exact amount depends on the size and volume of the cargo handled. 

Also, a smart port should have a well-organised cybersecurity team to protect the database from cyber attacks. Such an incident occurred when a drug trafficker’s team hacked the IT system of the Antwerp Port in Belgium.

AIS or Automatic Identification System provides real-time information about ships. It comes with tracking and monitoring systems engineered to improve maritime security. It helps in ship navigation and pinpointing the exact location of the vessel, which aids the Global Integrated Shipping Information System in maintaining traffic and other statistics of cargo distribution, etc. It is also an efficient communication system between the ship’s control room and the shore.

Other Automated Systems

Many Automated communication systems were recently developed to ensure smooth voyages.

AMVER stands for Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System. It is a ship safety system brought in by USCG to provide help and assistance to vessels in an emergency, with its fast-tracking algorithm to spot the ship and manage the crisis.

AMS, or Automated Manifest System, is a freight tracking system which works with the pre-entered details of a ship’s cargo. The USA brought it into effect in 2004 to increase port security.

VMS or Vessel Management System is a monitoring and traffic management system which uses GPS. It helps in transferring weather and environmental data between the shore and ship.

Korea and its ICT solutions

Korea’s prominent network provider, KT, has developed many ICT-based solutions to improve maritime security. The Korean telecom firm’s technology includes a Long-Term Evolution network covering remote locations. A life-jacket can be traced with IoT and IoT network-based designed devices as far as 200 kilometres from the land. The life jacket can help trace people and aid rescue operations during accidents. The jacket has sensor technology, and when the jacket falls into the water, the water pressure sensor gets activated and sends information to the rescue team about the wearer’s location and physical condition.

Weather Forecasting Technology

Climate change and resulting disasters have increased the need for efficient weather forecasting technologies, such as the Atmospheric radio occultation, which detects changes in the radio signal. 

GNSS or GPS is a radio occultation that relies on radio transmissions from GPS or GNSS(Global Navigation Satellite System). This is a new technique for performing atmospheric measurements. These new technologies should be implemented on all ships, especially autonomous vessels.

Spire Maritime, a product of Spire Global, is dedicated to developing satellite data solutions for the maritime industry. This start-up has also launched its CubeSat satellites to track ships by radio waves and gather information like the temperature of the ocean bed, ocean currents, wind direction, etc. The data will help the vessel plan its voyage accordingly while alerting about impending dangers.

Conclusion

The maritime industry is already undergoing a rapid transformation toward digitalisation. Machine learning and data analysis are aiding this process. Efficient data analysis will help predictive maintenance, which can detect and alert about impending danger and machinery failure. This digitalisation will contribute to the economy of the involved nations, as it will bring enhanced security to vessels, which means fewer chances of accidents and illegal trade. Cybersecurity will also have to be tightened to monitor smart ports and autonomous ships efficiently. 

You might also like to read-

• What Are Smart Port Technologies?
• What Are Different Types of Ports For Ships?
• Advantages And Disadvantages Of Bigger Vessels For Port And Terminal Operators