The technology group Wärtsilä has been contracted to upgrade its 11-year old Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System (VTMIS) serving ports in Cyprus. The order was placed in November 2019 by the Shipping Deputy Ministry to the President of Cyprus, and includes a 5-year equipment maintenance agreement.The upgrading will enable the Cyprus VTMIS to become a central point of contact and exchange information with other such systems in the region. This broader coverage will improve safety, combat illegal immigration and smuggling, improve environmental protection services, facilitate coastal surveillance and traffic monitoring, support search and rescue operations, and improve the overall operational efficiency of the region’s ports.

“The Wärtsilä system has been in successful operation since 2008, and will now be upgraded to feature the latest innovations in efficient vessel traffic management. The new system will be based on the dedicated Wärtsilä Navi-Harbour system software, and will deliver a multitude of benefits,” says Valentin Roslyakov, Commercial Project Manager, Wärtsilä Marine.

“Cyprus is strategically located in the north-eastern corner of the Mediterranean basin, at the intersection of major international and regional shipping lanes. Such a location has made the Cyprus ports a natural place of call for vessels sailing in and out of the Mediterranean region. Efficient vessel traffic monitoring and information is, therefore, extremely important for safety and a number of other reasons, which is why we are working closely with Wärtsilä. The main efforts of the Government of Cyprus are focused on continuous improvement of the existing maritime infrastructure,” says Themis Evriviades, Senior Marine Surveyor, Port and Coastal State Directorate, Head of Maritime Surveillance and Anti-pollution Unit.

The upgrading project is expected to be completed in March 2020, after which the 5-year maintenance agreement will become effective.

The Wärtsilä VTS software has extensive functionalities, and the solution is modular, scalable, and accessible for future upgrade developments. Wärtsilä is a market leader in this field with more than 300 Vessel Traffic Management Systems installed in 70 countries around the world.