ABP to future-proof maritime ops with Wärtsilä solutions

Wärtsilä Voyage, part of the Finnish technology group Wärtsilä, has signed a contract for a five-year framework agreement with UK’s ports group Associated British Ports (ABP) to digitalise operations at 21 ABP ports.

As explained, the project aims to accelerate the digital transformation of port calls and operations, making them as efficient, sustainable and safe as possible.

The Wärtsilä Voyage technologies chosen for the project include Navi-Port, Navi-Harbour Vessel Traffic Services, and Port Management Information System (PMIS). According to Wärtsilä, these technologies will help ABP employees meet their targets, complement the company’s safety culture during port operations and optimise vessel planning and movements, which can have a positive impact on local, national and global supply chains.

“ABP truly understands how impactful technology can be in the maritime industry…Holistic and seamless technological solutions are critical to ensuring that ports, and the maritime industry more broadly, are ahead of the curve in terms of supply chain modernisation, that operations are future-proofed, and that data underpins decisions,” Sean Fernback, President, Wärtsilä Voyage commented.

The project, which began in June, will span multiple phases across all of ABP’s ports. Wärtsilä’s Vessel Traffic Services system and Port Management Information System are expected to be integrated into the Port of Southampton before April 2023, with other solutions subsequently being deployed across ABP’s other 20 ports.

The framework agreement, valid for at least the next five years, formalises a shared vision and commitment from both organisations to develop modern smart port applications through extensive and long-term collaboration.

“We are delighted to be working with Wärtsilä on a programme that really delivers towards our vision of a modern, digital port… We are looking forward to the vast benefits this programme will bring,” Harm Van Weezel, Chief Information Officer at ABP, said.

“This is a landmark contract that will have a profound impact on the sustainability, resilience and efficiency of global supply chains. Digitalisation offers great potential for the maritime industry to reach its ambitious emissions reductions targets. That is why the expertise within Wärtsilä Voyage plays such an important role in the pathway to zero emissions and continues to be integral to Wärtsilä’s strategy to generate genuine and long-term change for our sector,” Håkan Agnevall, President & CEO, Wärtsilä Corporation, added.