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Aberdeen Harbour Enhances Port Safety |
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News archive -
Maritime
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Tuesday, 29 June 2010 06:59 |
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Aberdeen Harbour has invested £85,000 in a new radar tower to increase safety at the port.
The tower, located on the headland at Girdleness near the entrance to the lighthouse, is eight metres high and fitted with a radar scanner to detect and track vessels approaching or leaving the harbour area.
The radar will transmit signals to the Marine Operations Centre (MOC) at Footdee and integrate them with the existing radar feed. Having an additional radar will not only track vessel movements more efficiently from the South side, but also act as a back up should there be a failure of the primary radar at the MOC.
Aberdeen Harbour’s new radar will provide Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) with a picture of a greater area, offering optimum safety for vessels entering and leaving the port.
Ray Shaw, operations director and harbour master at Aberdeen Harbour, said: “Safety is of paramount importance to the port, both in terms of protecting our people and customers, as well as the environment.
“We have a high volume of vessels entering or leaving the harbour on a daily basis and having the new radar in place will enhance the ability of VTS to ensure all areas are observed. Our main aim is to continue to provide our customers with the very best services and facilities in a safe and secure environment.”
Aberdeen Harbour is one of the UK’s busiest ports and handles over 24 million tonnes of shipping and cargo exceeding 5 million tonnes, worth £1.5 billion.
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