Indra awarded two Brazilian port VTMS contracts

The Brazilian ports of Vitoria and Santos will be equipped with new Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS) by Indra under two contracts announced on 17 November.

The first £5.6 million contract was awarded by Companhia Docas do Espírito Santo, the state organisation responsible for administering the port of Vitoria; and will see Indra implement its maritime traffic monitoring and management system in time for the start of operations in 2015. The second £7.6 million contract was awarded by the company that manages the port of Santos, Companhia Docas do Estado de São Paulo, with work to be complete by 2016.

Indra’s VTMIS iMare solution gives port operators an integrated maritime overview based on digital and standardised nautical charts. The system improves navigation security, to help increase port activity and operational efficiency. It allows for the monitoring and management of vessel traffic, and provides information about the area's environmental conditions in real time and within an integrated operational environment.

iMare uses tools for the safe management and ordering of sea traffic, and integrates with other port operation management systems under the umbrella of the ‘paperless port’ programme. Each vessel in the vicinity is clearly identified on the operator's screen, with information about its exact position, cargo and route. The operator will also have access to the maritime communications system, and will be able to contact and exchange instructions with the vessels.

The system is controlled, operated and managed from a coordination centre, where data from a series of sensors is gathered.  In the case of Santos and Vitória, it is based on radar systems that monitor vessel movements in the port and nearby waters.

The system is complemented by a group of base stations, repeaters and Automatic vessel Identification System (AIS) receivers that collect identification information sent by the vessels. This information is checked by electro-optic systems that detect vessels under daytime and night time conditions. Additionally, the system integrates data necessary for secure maritime traffic management - environmental sensors for data about weather and climate conditions, and hydrographic sensors for information about tides and currents.