The Port Authority of Aveiro (Administración Portuaria de Aveiro: APA) and the Port Authority of Figueira da Foz (Administración Portuaria de Figueira da Foz: APFF) have chosen GMV, a technology group present in Portugal, leader in Europe and a world benchmark in global navigation systems, to lead the technological modernization of the Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) systems operating in the ports of Aveiro and Figueira da Foz, to strengthen navigation safety and improve communication with aid and rescue agencies. This contract represents an investment of more than 2 million euros and was the subject of a public tender called by the APA.
The Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is a maritime traffic monitoring system similar to air traffic control and enables communication with relief and rescue organizations. VTS systems play a key role in maritime traffic surveillance, enabling the movement of vessels to be tracked and ensuring safety in areas with navigation restrictions. The modernization will help reduce the risk of accidents and minimize environmental impact.
According to the stringent requirements of the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA), the solution will be implemented using solid-state radars operating in the X-band, ensuring outstanding detection capabilities even in low visibility and adverse weather conditions.
In addition to five new generation solid-state radars, the new system will include:
Following this modernization, VTS systems will be remotely accessible online, thus allowing authorized operators to monitor maritime traffic from any location. In addition, pilots can monitor navigation directly on board the vessels through Portable Pilot Units (PPUs).
