The definitive Port Call Optimization (PCO) guide for ports and shipping
Ports and shipping unite to standardise port call data, advancing safe, efficient and sustainable berth to berth navigation
An unprecedented collaboration between recognised IMO NGOs representing ports and shipping has produced an industry milestone: a framework and accompanying guide that will standardise core port call data, advancing safe berth to berth navigation.
Working side by side, IHMA and IAPH have delivered a common solution that ends decades of fragmentation and misalignment around port call data, charting a course for safer, more efficient, and more sustainable shipping – underpinned by robust and established IMO, ISO and IHO data standards and endorsed by BIMCO, ICS, Intertanko and Intercargo.
Dual submissions to the IMO FAL 50 from 23 to 27 March further built on this landmark agreement by mapping out a path to formalised guidelines on port nautical information, based on existing IMO rules and guidelines.
A new global framework
Produced by the International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH) and the International Harbour Masters’ Association (IHMA), the Guide for Harmonized Communication and Electronic Exchange of Nautical and Operational Data for Port Calls – abbreviated to the Port Call Optimization (PCO) Guide – sets out a step by step approach for ports and shipping to exchange a minimum, high value set of port call data electronically to improve supply chain efficiency, remove wasted time awaiting (or at) berth and ultimately reduce ship emissions.
Endorsed by forty maritime organisations, including other leading industry NGOs such as IBTA1, the Nautical Institute, FONASBA2 and the World Bank, the Port Call Optimization Guide marks the first time in which a global framework has existed equivalent to the IMO’s own established ship-focused standards on safe navigation from berth to berth.
The intended readers of this guide are harbour masters or equivalents, terminal operators, nautical service providers, IT personnel of the port, policy makers and solution providers.
IMO submissions continue the journey
Submitted at IMO Facilitation Committee (FAL 50) two complementary IMO papers charted a practical, shared course based on this milestone agreement.
Submitted by IAPH and IHMA, FAL 50/INF.4 introduced the Port Call Optimization Guide and defined an initial, minimum set of port call data, aligned with IMO and IHO standards and supported by an international standard for electronic data sharing through the IHO.
This submission directly complemented FAL 50/17 (Netherlands et al3) which proposes a new request for output regarding the development of guidelines on port nautical information and which details the full breadth of nautical data required for safe berth to berth navigation, grounded in existing IMO rules and guidelines.
Tried and tested between the world’s most advanced ports
The Port Call Optimization Guide is not a theoretical manual. Prior to publishing, some of the world’s most advanced ports in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas had successfully trialled port-to-port data exchanges on port calls of both liner container shipping and liquid bulk tanker calls, using the data sets in the guide. This includes the first ever demonstration of port call data exchange, piloted between the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore and the Port of Rotterdam, showcased last year at the IMO FAL 49 in London.
A milestone achievement
IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented: ‘The publication of the Port Call Optimization Guide marks a significant, shared step toward safer, more efficient and predictable berth to berth navigation. This guide is the result of long-term industry collaboration, which should translate long standing IMO safety ambitions into practical steps inside ports.’
IHMA President Captain Paul O’Regan (Chief Operation Officer Port of Duqm Company, SAOC) added: ‘The International Harbour Masters are proud to have been a part of the PCO initiative since its inception. The initiative has evolved to align with changes in the maritime arena – however the core principle of transparent, accurate and universal information exchange between all parties remains overall objective to support safe and efficient port management.’
Next steps and further information: To download (Visit external site. Link opens in a new tab.)
The 68-page Port Call Optimization Guide is available in the public domain and can be found in pdf form using the link above.