A new hydrometeorological measurement buoy has been installed in the Baltic Sea, about 4 nautical miles from the gates of Klaipėda port. The data collected by it will be transmitted to the data center of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority and integrated into the overall shipping conditions monitoring system.
It is expected that this technology will allow even more precise planning of ship arrivals and departures, reduce the risk of unnecessary waiting, manage cargo and transport flows more efficiently, and contribute to safer and smoother port operations.
Accuracy is needed even before the ship reaches the gates
Klaipėda port captain Vladas Motiejūnas emphasizes that modern monitoring and forecasting solutions are becoming essential due to the changing scale of shipping. Klaipėda port serves increasingly larger ships of various types – from container ships to cruise ships, so every decision regarding their entry or exit must be based on the most accurate information possible.
“Visits of ships longer than 300 meters to Klaipėda port have already become common. Delays or hold-ups of such ships due to unfavorable hydrometeorological conditions can cause significant losses not only to shipping companies and terminals but also negatively affect the reliability and reputation of Klaipėda port,” says V. Motiejūnas.
According to him, safe and efficient shipping depends not only on the professionalism of pilots, Vessel Traffic Service operators, or other specialists. Equally important is having reliable real-time data and forecasts about conditions near the port approaches.
“To obtain reliable hydrometeorological data throughout the port water area and its approaches, it is necessary to install appropriate measurement sensors at strategically important locations and connect them into a common real-time data system. The implementation of such a system is an important step towards increasing shipping safety, improving port operation planning, reducing the risk of ship delays, and ensuring more efficient service of increasingly larger ships in Klaipėda port,” emphasizes the port captain.
Data from sea and port on one platform
As part of the MOVEO project, the shipping conditions monitoring system is being expanded in Klaipėda port. Three hydrometeorological stations have already been purchased and installed, and soon the system will be supplemented with a water current meter. The buoy installed at sea will become one of the most important parts of this system, as it will allow seeing actual conditions even before ships approach the port gates.
Vaidotas Brazdeikis, head of the Port Supervision Department of the Klaipėda State Seaport Authority, explains that the purpose of the new equipment is to combine different measurements into one user-friendly system.
“The buoy installed at sea will continuously record actual hydrometeorological conditions even before ships reach the gates of Klaipėda port. Other sensors located in different parts of the port will complement these measurements with information about wind, currents, and water level in the port water area, and the entire measurement stream will be transmitted to a common platform,” says V. Brazdeikis.
The data will be available to pilots, Vessel Traffic Service operators, pilot boat captains, dispatchers, pollution incident response specialists, ferry and other crews working in the port. In the future, it is planned to make this information available to a wider audience – for example, captains of yachts and other recreational vessels.
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Forecasts will be prepared by a machine learning model
Another important stage of the project is the hydrometeorological conditions forecasting solution. Project partners “MC Baltics” are developing an algorithm based on a machine learning model that will use real-time measurements and historical data.
This model should prepare five-day forecasts of wind, wave, water level, and currents. Forecasted values will be provided for each hour, and calculations will be updated twice a day.
More accurate forecasts will allow assessing in advance when it is safest for a ship to enter or leave, how to plan cargo handling, and what permissible draft to choose according to the expected water level. This is especially important to avoid unjustified downtime, which can disrupt the work of terminals, shipping companies, and other port services.
“The new system will help all interested parties see current shipping conditions and predict how they will change in the coming days. With more reliable forecasts, it will be easier to choose a safe time for ship arrival or departure in advance and reduce unnecessary waiting,” says V. Brazdeikis.
Additional assistance in case of GNSS signal disruption
The new buoy is important from the navigation safety perspective. It will be equipped with an active radar transponder, which will act as an additional navigation aid independent of satellite positioning in cases where GNSS signals are disrupted or their reliability decreases.
The active radar transponder, upon receiving the radar signal of an approaching ship, will automatically transmit an amplified and recognizable response. The ship’s crew will see it on the radar screen, allowing them to determine the buoy’s direction and distance independently of GNSS signal disruptions. This is especially important because the buoy will be installed near the ship reception and pilot boarding area. In case of GNSS disruptions, it will provide ships with an additional reliable landmark to help determine their position and safely reach the pilot boarding area.
Klaipėda – one of the innovation testing sites
The installation of smart buoys and sensor systems is being carried out as part of the MOVEO project. Klaipėda port is one of five demonstration sites where technological innovations are being tested. In total, the project plans to create and test 18 innovations in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Lithuania.
In Klaipėda, the focus is on monitoring shipping conditions, forecasting, and safer port operations. These solutions are important not only for operational management but also for the environment – the more precisely ship movements are planned, the less unnecessary waiting, fuel consumption, and related environmental impact there is.
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