Moscow Canal completed project on digital mapping of Russia’s inland water ways
Moscow Canal completed the project on digital mapping of Russia’s inland water ways under the order of the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot). According to Moscow Canal, electronic navigational charts will be available from 2020. For that purpose, special equipment should be installed on ships.
“In2019, FSBI Moscow Canal has completed processing of electronic navigational charts (ENC) of inland water ways of Russia. Thus, a package of digital charts of all navigable rivers, canals, lakes and water storage basins of the country has been completed”, says German Yelyanyushkin, head of Moscow Canal.
Vessels equipped with Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS) will be able to be guided by virtual buoys from 2020. This equipment covers all navigation information and lets make prompt decisions.
Not all vessels have undergone the required modernization. 69 ships of IWW Basins Administrations including 14 ships of Moscow Canal can use electronic charts today.
Moscow Canal was to first to test digital cartography. In November 2018, a 70-meter long convoy of ships owned by Moscow Basin Administration successfully passed from the Udarnaya pier in the Moscow Region to Beloomut hydrosystem in Lukhovitsy via Rybinsk, Kostroma and Murom. M/V Perekat with ПК-4 floating crane passed about 1,000 km using electronic charts. Floating aids to navigation had been removed by that time.
As of today, using ENC under the IHO S-63 Data Protection Scheme is possible for vessels equipped with ECDIS manufactured by Transas in 2007-2012.
Moscow Canal suggests development of a simplified scheme allowing for ENC display on different equipment. Besides, Moscow Canal addressed the IHO with a purpose to join the international data protection system.
State-owned FSBI Moscow Canal is the largest water transport and inland shipping sector facility and acts as a public administration body for management of inland waterways in 12 regions of Central Russia. The authority manages and operates 235 hydraulic engineering facilities and 3,842 km of inland waterways.
