Ports and shipping agree global standard for port call data

In a milestone that ends decades of fragmentation, the world’s leading ports and shipping organisations have jointly published a global framework to standardise the exchange of port call data – a development with far-reaching implications for efficiency, safety and emissions reduction across the entire maritime supply chain.

The Port Call Optimization Guide, produced by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the International Harbour Masters Association (IHMA), sets out a step-by-step approach for ports and shipping to exchange a minimum, high-value set of port call data electronically. The guide has been endorsed by 40 maritime organisations including BIMCO, ICS, Intertanko and Intercargo, and is underpinned by established IMO, ISO and IHO data standards.

The framework represents the first time a global port-side equivalent to IMO’s ship-focused navigation standards has existed, directly addressing wasted time awaiting or at berth and the resulting excess emissions.

Crucially, the guide is not theoretical. It has already been trialled between leading ports across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas, including the first-ever port call data exchange demonstration between Singapore and Rotterdam.

“This guide is the result of long-term industry collaboration, which should translate long-standing IMO safety ambitions into practical steps inside ports,” said IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven.

Two complementary submissions to the IMO Facilitation Committee this week chart the path toward formalised IMO guidelines on port nautical information.

Standardised port call data could systematically reduce berth waiting times, cut unnecessary emissions and improve supply chain predictability globally – benefits that compound across thousands of port calls every day.

source : splash247