Tanker Owners Warned to Act Quickly on ECDIS Compliance

Over 4,000 tankers of 3,000 gross tonnes or more, representing 46% of the global 3,000+ gt tanker fleet, are not yet using ENCs (Electronic Nautical Charts) on ECDIS, which will be mandatory as of July 1, when SOLAS regulations on the mandatory carriage of ECDIS comes into force, data from the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO) shows.

Of the 8,750+ tankers in the global fleet that are required to comply with the new regulations,  54% are now using ENCs.

UKHO says that progress has been made in recent months, with the global ‘ECDIS readiness’ figure having risen from 42% in September 2014 to the current figure of 54%.

The UKHO data also reveals a number of interesting disparities in the adoption of ECDIS between different elements of the global tanker fleet.

83% of LNG tankers are currently using an ENC service, compared to 70% of crude oil tankers and 36% of product tankers. All three categories have shown a substantial improvement in ECDIS readiness since September 2014.

”Tanker owners and operators that have not yet planned for the adoption of ECDIS should address this immediately in order to make the transition in a safe, timely manner and avoid the risks of non-compliance,” Thomas Mellor, Head of OEM Technical Support and Digital Standards, UKHO, said.

”From an operational, commercial and reputational perspective, the consequences of failing to comply with the ECDIS regulations – and therefore the SOLAS Convention – can be severe.”