A new data sharing partnership between the Port of London Authority (PLA) team that surveys the bed of the Thames and the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is a UK first, which is set to improve the safety of ships visiting the UK’s second biggest port.
The PLA’s Hydrographic team is the busiest in the UK. Their survey work involves collecting data on Electronic Navigation Charts (ENCs) which contain vital, real-time information about changes to some 400 square miles of riverbed, essential information for planning a ship’s safe and efficient passage on the Thames.
Under the new agreement, the UKHO is making available the super detailed PLA survey data via the Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) that all ships carry. This sat nav-style technology is used by ships to plan their visit to London safely. Ships call at the Port of London from more than 80 countries around the world, bringing essentials supplies of food, fuel and much more.
About the PLA
• The PLA works to ensure navigational safety along the tidal Thames, sharing its marine, environmental, planning and other expertise to promote use of the river and safeguard its unique marine environment.
• The tidal Thames is one of the UK’s busiest waterways and is home to the country’s second biggest port by tonnage of goods handled.