The campaign performed in Valencia will be devoted to capture operational benefits brought by PASSport in support to e-Navigation providing a concrete contribution to initiatives started by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) more than 10 years ago and well in the implementation phase.

The Port of Valencia has been selected as it is the fifth busiest seaport in Europe. As of 2019, it moves an annual cargo traffic of around 81 million tonnes and 5.4 TEU, ranking first in Spain and second in the Mediterranean basin in container shipping (after the Port of Piraeus), and second in Spain in annual cargo traffic, after the Port of Algeciras.

About e-navigation topic, port of Valencia is currently working on a project named STM (www.stmproject.eu), in which is developing e-navigation integrations with AIS, port community system (pcs), tugboats, pilotage and mooring. In this sense, the campaign will be conducted in order to have feedback on how automated RPAs could be a supported tool in order to be integrated among the different systems as well as send confirmation from port users about the ship berthing operations. So, together with other e-Navigation aspects, like automated ship reporting, e.g. through National Single Window or e-Certificate exchange with Port State Control, PASSport can provide the effected port authorities with preliminary information to allow better coordination of safety and security related activities in the port.

The above aspects will be used for the validation campaign planned in Valencia where the PASSport automated RPAS will be used as additional sensors to provide data for more situational awareness to be operationally integrated with shiplocus product including advanced EGNSS solution onboard rotatory axis RPAS and external interface DINTEL interference detector in the port to detect interference events that could compromise the security and safety of port operations.