Each year, around 11,000 vessels put into the Port of Gothenburg, the largest port in the Nordic region. These can vary from large container vessels and freight ferries to car carriers, tankers and passenger ferries. The National Shipping Administration VTS system and the pilot ordering system will join forces with the Port of Gothenburg approach and berthing system. The aim of this new collaboration is a quicker, safer and greener approach by vessels.An approach is an extensive process and many parties are involved. The vessel needs to contact the National Shipping Administration to order a pilot and to receive information about the traffic situation in the fairways and when berthing. It also needs to contact the Port of Gothenburg to be allocated a berth, to arrange peripheral services and so on. The whole process is governed by time.
Gothenburg Approach
To offer shipping a more efficient approach into Gothenburg, co-operation has been intensified between the National Shipping Administration and the Port of Gothenburg. In effect, this means that the National Shipping Administration VTS function and the pilot ordering system will merge with the Port of Gothenburg approach planning system, Port Control. The joint operating centre will come under the name Gothenburg Approach.
Anne-Cathrine Zetterdahl is Director-General of the National Shipping Administration: “Quicker, simpler and greener berthing of vessels is the aim behind this co-operation between the Port of Gothenburg and the National Shipping Administration. It is now underway with the implementation of process improvements with the customer firmly in focus.”
Employees from the two organisations will work together in an adapted and redeveloped operations centre on the fourth floor of Amerikaskjulet, with an excellent view of the river. Communication between them has been facilitated considerably.
Magnus Kårestedt is Chief Executive at the Port of Gothenburg: “By being together, we hope to be able to improve approach efficiency even further. Our customers will gain from this intensified collaboration.”
The new system will in time present environmental benefits, as the approach by the vessels is made more efficient, with improved time control and planned traffic flow when berthing.