ECDIS Adopted by over Half of Internationally Trading Fleet

Over half of ships trading internationally are living with ECDIS, according to the latest figures published by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO). Of an estimated 41,500 internationally trading ships around the world, 24,300 or 58% are now using an ENC (Electronic Navigational Chart) service on ECDIS as a result of the SOLAS-mandated carriage of ECDIS, which is being introduced on a rolling timetable for different ship types and sizes. When those that do not trade internationally are included, 45% of all ships that are subject to the SOLAS regulations are ECDIS-ready.

On this basis of this positive trajectory for ECDIS adoption, the UKHO believes that the shipping industry is broadly on course to comply with the SOLAS-mandated timetable for ECDIS carriage across the global fleet by the end of this decade.

Progress by Tankers and Large Cargo Ships

Positive progress towards ECDIS adoption is also being made by different categories of ship types and sizes. The proportion of tankers over 3,000gt that are ECDIS ready has risen from 54% in April 2015 to 69% in October 2015, following the ECDIS carriage regulations entering into force from 1 July 2015 for tankers.

The SOLAS regulations on ECDIS carriage will be extended to all existing cargo ships over 50,000gt from 1 July 2016. At present, 62% of the 3,500 large cargo ships that will be subject to these regulations are already ECDIS ready. This is significantly higher than the equivalent figure for the tanker fleet from 12 months ago, indicating that the large cargo ship fleet is relatively more advanced in terms of its preparations for the ECDIS deadline.

There are some variances in ECDIS readiness between different categories of cargo ship. At present, 57% of bulkers are living with ECDIS, compared to 65% of RoRos and 71% of container ships. However, there is near-parity in ECDIS readiness between the Asian and European large cargo ship fleets.  63% of large cargo ships in Asia are ECDIS ready, compared to 62% in Europe.

ECDIS Management Challenges

Commenting on the latest figures, Thomas Mellor, the UKHO’s head of OEM Technical Support and Digital Standards, finds it important to understand that ECDIS compliance and effective ECDIS use are different. All shipping companies need to ensure that they have put in place revised bridge policies and procedures that reflect the requirements of safe, effective and compliant ECDIS operation, that ECDIS software is upgraded to comply with the latest IHO ENC Standards, and that its bridge teams are competent and confident in using ECDIS to its full potential.