A smart buoy is now operational in the waters off the Port of Klaipeda: an innovative device designed to ensure even smoother navigation

In the Baltic Sea, 4 miles from the port entrance, a buoy equipped with special sensors has been deployed and is already collecting and transmitting real-time data to shore regarding wave height, direction, and period; current speed and direction; water and air temperature; atmospheric pressure; and so-called GPS interference. The Port Authority’s data center already collects this data, and in the next phase of the project, the partner “MC Baltics” will use it to develop an algorithm for forecasting hydrometeorological conditions based on a machine learning model. By utilizing real-time measurement data and historical data, this algorithm will enable more accurate forecasting of conditions in the Port of Klaipėda and its surrounding areas. In other words, the implemented system will allow real-time adjustments to logistics plans and optimize cargo and transport flows, facilitating smoother, more efficient shipping operations.

The new buoy, equipped with modern technology, is also useful in cases where ships approaching the port encounter so-called GPS signal interference — it will serve as a sort of guide, regardless of the interference, pointing the way to a point at sea where the Port Authority’s pilots meet the ships and, using special interference-resistant equipment, help the ship safely enter the port and navigate within it.

The Port of Klaipėda is one of the project’s five demonstration sites where technological innovations are being tested. MOVEO plans to develop and test 18 innovations in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Lithuania. These demonstration projects cover different types of infrastructure, climatic conditions, and life cycle stages.

MOVEO is a European research and innovation project funded under the “Horizon Europe” program. The total project budget amounts to 5,735,250 euros. The budget allocated to the Port of Klaipėda under the project will amount to 395,600 euros (funding intensity: 70 percent). (Klaipeda Port Authority information)