NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR FINNISH OIL RECOVERY VESSEL

Abstract

ABSTRACT Finland's National Board of Waters and the Environment (FNBWE) and the Finnish electronics company Jertec Oy have together developed a computer-based oil recovery system to improve the efficiency of oil recovery operations in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is extremely vulnerable to oil spills, largely because at high latitudes there are only a few hours of daylight during winter. Integration of the ship's navigational equipment with a highly accurate positioning system such as the differential GPS makes it possible to operate 24 hours a day. Also, oil recovery can be made much more efficient by using a new technique to collect oil from a wider area than at present. The oil recovery vessel Halli has a length of 60 meters and is capable of recovering oil either alone or with two assisting vessels. In the latter case, the assisting vessels draw oil booms to direct floating oil from a wide area into the Halli rather like a funnel. Previously, this operation was limited to straight runs and daylight hours. The Halli is also equipped to perform underwater investigations (such as seabed wrecks) with a small submersible. Without an underwater positioning and tracking system, underwater operations are inefficient. The main requirements for the new system were reliable positioning of all vessels (assisting vessels are not known in advance), reliable inter-vessel communication, and documentation and printouts of the planned and real routes. The new navigation system was installed in November 1991 and has since fulfilled all FNBWE's requirements. The main benefit is the capability to operate 24 hours a day, which greatly increases the efficiency of oil recovery.