Implementación del trabajo cooperativo

Waterway Traffic and Infrastructure

Management

This section investigates two modes of waterborne transport, maritime and inland waterways. The first one studies the management of the maritime transport from both the strategic and technical perspectives. The second focuses on the studies which aim at establishing the inland waterways presence in the intermodal logistic chains.

Background

The EU has different policy priorities for maritime and inland waterways transport. Maritime transport is one of the busiest modes in Europe and in the world. Today, alongside the necessity to be even more efficient, there is an increasing need for greater safety and security and for less environmental impact. Compared to other transport modes that are confronted with increasing congestion and capacity problems, inland waterways transport is characterised by its reliability and low environmental impact. However, use is low compared to the potential capacity. This difference in policy priorities is reflected in the research projects funded within FP6 and FP7.

Research

The research projects in this sub-theme are categorised within two clusters: safe, efficient and environmentally friendly maritime traffic management; and competitive and efficient inland waterways transport.

The first cluster deals with the research projects that contribute to safe, efficient and environmentally friendly maritime traffic management in Europe. Research projects illustrate that there is still much to be done to make maritime transport an efficient and sustainable transport mode.

Projects such as FLAGSHIP, MARNIS, NAVTRONIC and ARIADNA focused on reducing the administrative burden of the crew. Safety and security are important aspects of EU maritime transport policy. During an emergency, severe weather conditions or other dangerous situations, maritime transport management can be facilitated with the aid of decision support systems developed in projects such as ADOPT and HANDLING WAVES, DSS-DC, FLOODSTAND and SAFEWIN. The HORIZON project focused on the human factor in transport safety and investigated fatigue of the crew during long shifts. The SAFELOAD project focused on management of a maritime operation and proposed innovative solutions for the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) offload. The ARGOMARINE project focuses on monitoring marine traffic and linked pollution events. All projects in the first cluster contribute to the EU objective on the development of sustainable maritime transport through the facilitation of the maritime traffic and operation management.

Integration of inland waterways transport into the intermodal logistics chain is seen as a next step in supporting the competitive position of this transport mode. The second category of projects, competitive and efficient inland waterways transport, presents the RISING project, which contributes to strengthening the competitive position of the inland waterways transport in Europe.

Safe, efficient and environmentally friendly maritime traffic

management

The FLAGSHIP project (European Framework for Safe, Efficient and

Environmentally Friendly Ship Operations, FP6, 2007-2011) contributed to

reducing the administrative burden and to optimising the crew’s operative work. Project has contributed to the EC initiative of the e-Maritime concept development (development of the maritime sector supported by internet-based applications). The project results include a system of indicators for main engines, auxiliaries and thrusters; a tool for monitoring energy production and consumption levels from onboard and onshore; a tool on applicable rules and legislation cargoes and ships in geographic areas; a tool for ship/shore emergency management; and a decision support tool on managing ship stability and determining when to evacuate large ships.

The ADOPT project (Advanced Decision-support system for Ship Design,

Operation and Training, FP6, 2005 -2008) developed tools to assist a ship’s master

in identifying and avoiding hazardous situations. The project developed a decision- support system (DSS) to evaluate the quality and reliability of the information displayed. In addition to a software/hardware package for on-board use, a procedural process with three modes of use (design, training and operational) was proposed, each with appropriate tools. The ADOPT concept was tested in a demonstration prototype in a simulated environment.

The HANDLING WAVES project (Decision Support System for ship operation in

rough weather, FP6, 2007- 2009) improved ships’ performance, and thus efficiency

by addressing operational factors of ship operability and availability. An on-board DSS was developed for tactical decisions on ship handling in waves to support the master in improving ship performance and in minimising the likelihood of structural damage.

The MARNIS project (Maritime Navigation and Information Services, FP6, 2004-

2008) supported the development of the EU concept e-Maritime by improving

information exchange from ship to shore, shore to ship and between shore-based stakeholders. The Maritime Information Management system was developed which means that the ship’s master is required to report only once while all other updates are fed automatically to the relevant authorities. Early reporting improves planning for ports and related maritime services. The Maritime Operational Services concept was developed for innovative use of resources and technologies for shore-based operators to monitor and provide appropriate assistance to ships in coastal waters, shifting the emphasis from remedial to proactive services. Identification of high-risk ships enables appropriate measures to be taken to reduce the threat to coastlines and oceans.

The SAFE OFFLOAD project (Safe Offloading from Floating LNG Platforms, FP6,

2006-2008) designed a management solution for the maritime operation – offloading

from floating LNG platforms. Environmental models were developed to predict near- future waves, wind and current events relevant to decision making on offloading. Numerical models relating to offloading were developed and tested. Environmental conditions affecting floating liquefied natural gas systems and the interactions between two vessels during LNG offloading to and from a shuttle carrier were studied and decision-support methods for offloading operations were developed.

The SAFECRAFTS project (Safe Abandoning of Passenger Ships - Improvement of

Current Lifesaving Appliances Systems, FP 6, 2004-2007) studied ship evacuation

systems in terms of passenger/crew survival by improving lifesaving appliances. A method was developed to assess reliability and effectiveness of rescue systems for passenger vessels. The effectiveness of two innovative systems was tested (inflatable escape with its own propulsion system — Hard Sided Life Raft and detachable module — Self Propelled Survival Craft).

The SAFETOW project (Strategic Aid for Escort Tugs at Work, FP 6, 2004-2007) provided the ships’ master with tools to control the vessel if it becomes disabled and masters of salvage and escort tugs with real-time decision tools with information on the consequences of their actions. The software is to be integrated with the vessel’s bridge system to provide real-time decision support. Data on vessel manoeuvring were collected including manoeuvring with more than one tug. Accident scenarios of tankers were also a project outcome.

The DSS-DC project (Decision Support System for Ships in Degraded Condition,

FP6, 2004-2007) developed decision-support tools for crisis situations on board cruise

ships, oil tankers and other ships. The system comprises a multi-function console; module on degraded manoeuvring and propulsion; collision/hull damage module; an intentional grounding module; and weather and sea routing advice including in adverse weather conditions, and ship-to-shore communication.

The HORIZON project (Research into the effects of sleepiness on the cognitive

performance of maritime watch keepers under different watch patterns, using ships’ bridge, engine and liquid cargo handling simulators, FP7, 2009-2012) was

a simulator-based study on the effects of standard maritime watch schedules on sleepiness and fatigue. Results provided scientifically rigorous data and understanding of the effect of sleepiness on watch keepers at sea. A fatigue management toolkit was produced, with recommendations on how to identify, mitigate and avoid the effects of sleepiness on watch. The toolkit also includes mathematical models to predict parts of a voyage critical from a fatigue and to plan mitigation action. A fatigue prediction tool (MARTHA) was developed.

The FLOODSTAND project (Integrated Flooding Control and Standard for Stability

and Crises Management, FP7, 2009-2012) developed and tested a ship design and

Rescue process modelling was done, and requirements and uncertainty bounds for models of mustering, abandonment and rescue operations were established.

The NAVTRONIC project (Navigational System for Efficient Maritime Transport,

FP7, 2009–2012) is developing a system to help sea masters optimise sailing time

(expected time of arrival), reduce fuel consumption, greenhouse emissions and minimise maintenance costs. This system will use ship-specific data and real-time local and remote observations (3D-radar, Earth Observation data) combined with state-of-the-art now cast and forecast numerical models.

The ARGOMARINE project (Automatic Oil-Spill Recognition and Geo-positioning

Integrated in a Marine Monitoring Network, FP7, 2009–2012) is developing and

testing an integrated system for monitoring marine traffic and pollution events due to carriers/commercial vessels and recreational boats in environmental-sensitive sea areas. Monitoring will use sophisticated electronic, geo-positioning, and telematic tools to transmit ship navigation data through a high-speed communication network.

The ARIADNA project (Maritime Assisted Volumetric Navigation System, FP7,

2009–2012) is developing a Volumetric Navigation System to reduce collisions and to

better estimate risks to navigation in channels, inland waterways, port areas and other areas of high traffic volumes.

The SAFEWIN project (Safety of Winter Navigation in Dynamic Ice, FP7, 2009-

2013) is developing an efficient ice compression and dynamics forecasting system to

increase the safety of winter navigation in dynamic ice conditions. This system is efficient in AFRAMAX size or larger oil tankers navigating in the Baltic, Okhotsk Sea and also in the western Russian Arctic.

Competitive and efficient inland waterways transport

The RISING project (RIS Services for Improving the Integration of Inland

Waterway Transport into Intermodal Chains, FP7, 2009-2011) investigated

adjusting River Information Services (RIS) to commercial needs and providing more efficient support to inland waterway transport logistics operations. It focused on three phases of inland waterway and intermodal transport: transport planning, berths & terminals, and transport monitoring.

Demonstration cases used project modules in real-life scenarios, such as containers, bulk and steel coils on major European rivers such as the Rhine, Scheldt, Danube, Elbe, Weser and adjacent canals.

8.

Sub-Theme: Air Traffic and Airport