The Netherlands Coast Guard is getting modern ICT systems and two new premises. The ICT replacement is now in full swing. In addition, more sensors will be installed in the North Sea to monitor shipping.
On 31 January, State Secretary Christophe van der Maat gave a written update on the progress of the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) Coast Guard project to the House of Representatives. The new MOC will integrate the information from the new sensors into a single nautical traffic image for the Coast Guard.
With the increasing number of wind farms at sea, more sensors are needed for a good traffic image. The Verkeersbeeld op Zee (VoZ, Traffic Image at Sea) project processes the data from these sensors and renews the infrastructure that analyses the information. This project also takes care of the management and maintenance of the infrastructure until 2036.
The programme Scheepvaartveiligheid Wind op Zee (Shipping Safety Wind at Sea) has made an additional budget of EUR 44.6 million available. This will bring the total budget for the VoZ project to EUR 48.1 million. VoZ is expected to start implementation in the course of this year.
Also read: Dutch Defence buys ships and other equipment to protect North Sea
New premises
The new premises at the defence location “De Nieuwe Haven” in Den Helder consists of a main building and a so-called Fallback, Test & Training Centre. At the end of last year, the State Property Agency announced that the costs for the new building will be higher. This is due to higher market prices in the construction sector and new forecasts on sea level rise.
The relevant ministries have made a total of EUR 24.3 million extra available. This brings the total budget for the new construction to EUR 56.9 million. Completion is scheduled for 2026.
Delay incident management system
The majority of the new ICT systems and applications are already in use by the Coast Guard. The new umbrella application for incident management, Guardion Coastguard, still had limitations in practice. This led to delays and later commissioning. To solve this, one of the sub-products was replaced by a customised solution.
Also read: Dutch Defence gets bigger role in protecting North Sea infrastructure
Importance of protecting the North Sea
Several projects are ongoing around the North Sea. Defence and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management coordinate on their coherence and integration.
Last July, the government decided that Defence will have a bigger role in protecting the infrastructure in the North Sea. The task of mapping potential threats in the vicinity of the Dutch part of the North Sea was transferred to this Ministry.
In December last year, Defence informed the House of Representatives about the acquisition of resources and equipment to protect the North Sea. This will strengthen its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability.
Picture: The Coast Guard’s Dash 8 has sensors on board that can scan the sea surface.
Also read: Multraship supplies Dutch Coast Guard with emergency tugs
