AWT Readies Captains with ECA Zone Calculator

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Applied Weather Technology, Inc. (AWT), today announced its BVS onboard software provides Emission Control Areas (ECAs) and calculation tools to evaluate the most cost effective voyage track.

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Using the latest version of BVS, captains manage their voyage track by displaying ECA zones and making them "no-go" areas. By doing this, they can see their voyage track outside and inside the ECA zones. Simply moving waypoints in BVS allows captains to visualize the impact of time in the ECA zone and compare it to the overall effect of time en route. The result is that the captain has the information to sail the optimal route.

"With BVS's ECA zone calculation tools, captains can make informed decisions about how much time to sail inside or outside these zones," said Rich Brown, vice president of product management, AWT. "Our goal is to give captains and ship operators the data they need to manage voyage costs while complying with IMO regulations."

On August 1, 2012, North America Emissions Control Area (ECA) zones become enforceable. The regulation is part of Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention titled "Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships".  The regulation dictates that the ECA Zones extend up to 200 nautical miles (NM) from coasts of the United States and Canada, including a portion of the Hawaiian Islands. In the ECA Zones, ships are required to burn fuel with sulfur content not exceeding 1.00%.  Notable exceptions to this area are the Aleutian Islands and Arctic waters of North America.

To learn more about AWT's BVS onboard system, go to http://www.awtworldwide.com/products/bon-voyage-system.asp.

About AWT

AWT (awtworldwide.com) is the leading provider of shore-based ship routing services, BVS onboard voyage management software and its award-winning GlobalView™ Fleet Management System. The company's mission is to provide decision support solutions and services that enable companies in the maritime industry to increase effectiveness, improve profitability, maintain safety, and minimize environmental impact. Focused solely on the maritime industry, AWT is staffed by world-renown experts in ship routing, meteorology, IT, maritime science and former mariners. AWT's 24/7 personalized customer service and integrity have made AWT the trusted fleet optimization provider to more than 1,000 shipping companies. Founded in 1996, AWT is headquartered in California's Silicon Valley with worldwide offices located in the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Korea, Japan, Singapore, New York, and New Jersey. More information is available at www.awtworldwide.com, email [email protected]  or by calling +1.408.731.8600.

GlobalView is a trademark of Applied Weather Technology. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Applied Weather Technology, Inc.