NORBIT Aptomar is proud to announce the opening of the Control Centre for the Bosporus Strait – Marine Pollution Detection Project.
The system delivered includes a wide range of sensors such as oil spill detection radar, AIS, multispectral marine cameras as well as meteorological sensors, all integrated within the NORBIT Aptomar SeaCOP Environmental Monitoring System.
The installed system automatically detects pollution from ships using integrated remote sensing technologies and correlate these observations with the identification of each ship entering and leaving the Black Sea. The NORBIT Aptomar SeaCOP Environmental Monitoring system contributes to the protection of the marine environment, coastline and human health, and was implemented together with the local partner Irmarinetech and with the scientific support of the Istanbul Technical University, Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Centre, and is installed on the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge crossing the Bosporus Strait.
The system will be operated and monitored by the General Directorate of Coastal Safety, the Coast Guard Command, the relevant units of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Istanbul Technical University (ITU), and is located in the ICA (Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Northern Ring Motorway Company) 24/7 main control centre.
When presenting the project, ICA General Manager Serhat Soğukpınar pointed out that the Bosporus, one of the most important waterways in the world, is also the most important passage connecting the Black Sea basin to the Mediterranean and other sea areas. Soğukpınar further said: “In recent years, the cargo volumes of ships passing through the Bosporus have increased significantly. In particular, the frequency of transit of tankers and the increase in oil and chemical cargoes carried through the Bosporus increase the risk of pollution of this important waterway by oil and its derivatives. Detection and prevention of this pollution is of great importance for the environment and human health. With the “Bosporus Strait – Marine Pollution Detection Project”, we aim to minimize the negative effects by providing the most appropriate response equipment/methods for the pollution after the pollution is detected. We will with this system provide sustainable protection for the people of the region, the marine environment and the coastline in general”.
ITU Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Center Director, Prof. Dr. Özcan Arslan, emphasised the following in the project; “Due to the Turkish waters and coast importance, it is very important for us to protect all our seas, especially our Straits and Marmara Sea. In order for our waters to survive, it is necessary to detect all kinds of pollutants, both to intervene and to prevent the consequences from such emissions. Thanks to this system installed on the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, instant information about pollution will be provided to all stakeholder organizations in a synchronized manner. In this way, when a possible pollution from a ship arises in the region, the system will easily enable detection of the polluting ship, and the pollution intervention can take place very quickly. Most likely, even the knowledge about the existence of such a system will act as a deterrent. In developed countries similar systems are implemented and pollution prevented quickly, especially by means of various penalties and strict sanctions. As ITU Turkish Straits Maritime Application Centre (ITUBOA), we are proud to play a role in the development of such a system. Allocating a significant budget to the project, ICA fulfil a very important social responsibility. As İTÜBOA, we will use the data we obtain in our academic studies. In addition, benefits such as search and rescue activities and maritime traffic planning will be provided from the project. Our project has a multiplier effect in that it is synchronized with all stakeholders, including academia. Therefore, we can position it as a ‘spark’ project. After all, with the installation of these systems at critical points in the Turkish seas, we will have done a very important service for the protection of our seas.”
“NORBIT Aptomar is very proud to be the chosen provider of the Environment Monitoring System for the Bosporus Strait, and we look forward to the future cooperation with Turkish stakeholders”. We will also emphasize the important role of our local partner Irmarinetech, that have done an outstanding job before and during the accomplishment of this project. This is indeed just a first “spark” that we hope will ignite further development and projects in the region as Dr. Özcan Arslan also states in his speech, says Tony Haugen, Director Sales and Marketing, NORBIT Aptomar.
