gross metric tonnes, apart from permitted exemptions. Over 8,500 tankers will be required to comply with these rules and, with less than 10 months to go, the UKHO can reveal that 58% of these ships do not yet use an ENC service. The amendments to the SOLAS Convention requiring the mandatory carriage of ECDIS were adopted in 2009.
To date, approximately 3,600 tankers, or 42% of the global tanker fleet use an ENC service. This leaves almost 5,000 tankers that do not use an ENC service and therefore may not have ECDIS installed. The UKHO data also reveals a significant divergence in the ENC use of the global tanker fleet between different tanker sizes and types. Overall, 23% of the global product tanker fleet of approximately 1,700 vessels is already using an ENC service, compared to 44% of crude tankers and 63% of LNG tankers.
With less than one year until these amendments to the SOLAS Convention come into force for the global tanker fleet, owners and operators of tankers that are not yet ready to comply need to ensure they have a plan in place to adopt ECDIS in a thorough and diligent manner. Whether it is the physical installation of ECDIS onboard, the delivery of type-specific training for crew or the necessary revisions to bridge policies and procedures, it is a considerable undertaking.
Captain Paul Hailwood, an expert on ECDIS and integrated bridge operations, said “The transition to ECDIS is a very complex and significant undertaking, whether it is for a single ship or an entire fleet. This data on the current state of ENC use across the global tanker fleet reveals that there is still a long way to go in a short period of time if the fleet is to be fully ready to comply with the SOLAS regulations, even allowing for exemptions and the grace period until a ship’s first survey date”.
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