Lithuania Revolutionizes Maritime Dominance with Unmanned Guardians of the Sea

“In Lithuania, the implementation of international and national agreements on ships is controlled by the Marine Environmental Protection Inspectorate. We are happy that with the help of technology we were able to check the sulfur content of the fuel of every ship entering the port, 140 ships were checked, 7 exceedances were recorded by drone – after conducting research on 2 ships, the exceedances were not confirmed. Possible violations of the other 5 ships were recorded after leaving the port, the administration of the flag states was informed in order to initiate inspections,” said the head of the Marine Environmental Protection Inspectorate. specialist Gintarė Šešplaukė.

As the environmentalist said, this modern drone, flying over ships sailing at sea, measures the amount of sulfur in the exhaust gas and allows to determine whether the amount of sulfur in the fuel does not exceed the set norms. The available functions allow to make environmental control more effective and stronger, prevent violations faster, and the performance of inspection work is also noticeable.

Photo of Klaipėda port/Gate of Klaipėda port

These drones were equipped with a variety of equipment – a sensor for the amount of sulfur in the exhaust gas, a range finder, determining GPS coordinates, as well as a simple and infrared camera that detects oil stains in water during the day and at night. The footage captured by the drone cameras was recorded and broadcast live to the inspectors involved in the project.

The unmanned aerial vehicle flew five days a week in the port of Klaipėda and the Baltic Sea in search of possible violations of environmental protection. Flying at the harbor gates, he studied the exhaust gases of every ship entering the harbor. The drone’s sensor was able to determine the percentage of sulfur in the ship’s fuel.

The Baltic Sea is an ecologically sensitive area and many people live in its basin, so the entire Baltic Sea falls within the Sulfur Emission Control Area (SECA). According to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) and European Union directives, the fuel used on ships in SECA zones can contain no more than 0.10 percent. sulphur. When burning, sulfurous fuels emit sulfur oxides (SOx) into the atmosphere, which are harmful to human health – they cause respiratory, cardiovascular diseases, and can also cause acid rain. International agreements seek to ensure the right of coastal residents to a clean and healthy environment.

At least one day a week, the unmanned aircraft performed preventive flights over the Klaipėda port water area. While flying in the port, the drone performed a number of preventive tasks: it monitored the port’s water area for possible cases of oil pollution, as well as loading operations for the possible disintegration of cargo particles

into the water, observed ship repair works, waste transfer operations to waste handlers and ship movement in the port.

The images filmed and broadcast by the drone allowed the employees of the Department of Environmental Protection and the Klaipėda State Seaport Directorate to directly monitor the port’s activities and quickly react to any suspicions of pollution.

In addition, during the mission, the drone provided valuable data to Fisheries Service inspectors on inshore fishing control. Drone raids were carried out on the coasts of Juodkrantė and Melnragė, at night, early morning and during the day. Inspectors searched for illegally built nets through drone cameras, monitored the behavior and work of coastal fishermen. Organized combined sea and port inspections.

“The drone was the “eyes” of the inspectors at sea, which helped to identify suspicious persons, remotely check the owners of the vessel’s registration and fishing nets, and determine the exact location of the nets. Under normal circumstances, all this should be done by inspectors going to sea on an inspection vessel. By using the drone, the institution’s resources and inspectors’ working time were saved,” said Giedrius Mačernis, head of the Baltic Sea Fishing Control Department of the Fisheries Control Department of the Fisheries Service.

In the project that lasted from mid-April to the end of July, drone services were provided in Lithuania by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), and they were piloted by the company ALTUS LSA.

Even three Lithuanian institutions used the information collected by the drone – the Environmental Protection Department, the Fisheries Service and the Directorate of the Klaipėda State Seaport. The Navy, the Air Force and the State Border Guard Service helped implement the project.

The authorities thank the European Maritime Safety Agency and the company ALTUS LSA for the interesting, smooth and productive cooperation during the project. With the help of innovative technologies, inspectors were able to efficiently use their available resources and time. Institutions that participated in the project were convinced of the benefits brought by modern technologies. It is expected that in the near future Lithuania could purchase similar drones by itself, thus strengthening the control of environmental protection on the coast of Lithuania throughout the year.

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