Nordic Unmanned is under contract to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to assist the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Ministerio de Transportes, Movilidad y Agenda Urbana) with conducting multipurpose maritime surveillance in the Strait of Gibraltar.
The campaign will include the monitoring of sulphur oxide (SOx) and nitric oxide (NOx) emissions and assisting in Search & Rescue operations for the Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (SASEMAR) as needed
The operation in Spain will be conducted in the area around the Strait of Gibraltar, whose waters are busy with considerable amounts of large and medium-sized vessels, notably oil tankers and freighters. The Estrecho de Gibraltar (Strait of Gibraltar) is one of the busiest maritime areas in the world and only 15 km wide at its most narrow point, separating Africa from Europe. This is the fourth simultaneous Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation conducted by Nordic Unmanned in Europe.
Knut Roar Wiig, CEO at Nordic Unmanned stated:
“Our customers see the value of having frequent data delivered through daily operations. Our BVLOS operations allows critical decision makers to have the latest and most detailed information. It is with great satisfaction that we can now share that we are currently operating four BVLOS drone operations in Europe. We are proud to be working with such a forward-leaning authority as EMSA in providing the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda with cutting-edge drone services.”
Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100
The drone operation registers potential violations of IMO regulations. The onboard sniffer samples a plume from the exhaust of the vessel in transit and measures if the sulphur content is higher than the allowed concentration of 0.5%. Indications of non-compliance made by this emission control service may trigger an inspection at the next port of call to verify whether an infringement has taken place. From 1 January 2025 the Mediterranean Sea will become a Sulphur Emission Control Area, limiting the allowed sulphur content in marine fuels to 0.1%.
Photos: Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is a proven capability for military and civilian applications. The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS needs no prepared area or supporting launch or recovery equipment. It operates day and night, under adverse weather conditions, with a range out to 200 km, both on land and at sea.
Source: Press Release