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 this week further build 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 40 maritime organisations, including other leading industry NGOs such as IBTA, the Nautical Institute, FONASBA 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) this week, two complementary IMO papers chart a practical, shared course based on this milestone agreement.
Submitted by IAPH and IHMA, FAL 50/INF.4 introduces the Port Call Optimization Guide and defines 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 complements FAL 50/17 (Netherlands et al*), 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 have 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
“The publication of the Port Call Optimization Guide marks a significant, shared step toward safer, more efficient and predictable berth‑to‑berth navigation,” said International Association of Ports & Harbors (IAPH) Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven. “This guide is the result of long-term industry collaboration, which should translate long‑standing IMO safety ambitions into practical steps inside ports.”
"The International Harbour Masters are proud to have been a part of the PCO initiative since its inception,” said International Harbour Masters Association President Captain Paul O’Regan (Chief Operation Officer Port of Duqm Company S.A.O.C). “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
The Port Call Optimization Guide is available for immediate download. An FAQ explaining the technical workings of the Port Call Optimization Guide follows (see below).
*Submitted by Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Germany, Estonia, United Arab Emirates, Norway, ICS, IHMA, IAPH, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, BIMCO, IBTA, IFSMA)
About IAPH
Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has developed into a global alliance of 201 port authorities as well as 175 port-related businesses. Comprised of over 94 different nationalities across the world’s continents, member ports handle over one third of the world’s sea-borne trade and well over 60% of the world container traffic. IAPH leads global port industry initiatives on decarbonisation and energy transition, risk and resilience management, and accelerating digitalisation in the maritime transport chain. The IAPH’s World Ports Sustainability Program has grown into the reference database of best practices of ports applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals and integrating them into their businesses - iaphworldports.org.
For editors and journalists:
The Port Call Optimization Guide: FAQs
What problem does the Port Call Optimization Guide attempt to solve?
The Port Call Optimization Guide solves the problem of inconsistent, fragmented port data that makes safe and efficient ship operations unnecessarily difficult.
Ship operators managing 100 vessels across 100 ports often face 100 different data formats and even conflicting information between sources such as nautical charts, port databases, and agents. That fragmentation makes safe, efficient, and sustainable operations unnecessarily difficult.
Why has there been no standard for port call data until now?
Seaports trace their roots back some 5,000 years but they emerged and expanded without any foundational requirement for standardized port data – ships simply sailed into port. When the world’s first airports became operational roughly 115 years ago, aircraft were cleared to land only once essential data was formally in place.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has a remit that includes maritime safety and the establishment of standards to enhance safe navigation from berth to berth. Yet inside ports themselves, no equivalent global framework emerged. With over 8,000 ports in the world and a cargo fleet of over 110,000 commercial vessels above 1,000 gross tonnes, sharing data from one source to many on a port call is a significant challenge.
This new collaborative effort by ports and the global shipping community translates long‑standing IMO safety ambitions into practical steps inside ports. By aligning on a minimum, universal dataset and a straightforward application programme interface (API) approach between systems, the sector takes a significant, shared step toward safer, cleaner, and more predictable berth‑to‑berth navigation.
What basic data standards does the Port Call Optimization Guide recommend?
The Port Call Optimization Guide includes identification of the terminal and its berths, the planned time of arrival at the pilot boarding place, and the planned time of departure from the berth.
These two “floor-level” indicators – locations and two timestamps – were selected after in‑depth discussion between ports and ship operators, following a ‘basics first’ philosophy: start with the smallest, most universally useful dataset that directly supports safety, predictability, and operational coordination.
The approach outlined in the guide was designed for global consistency. IMO and IHO standards ensure the data model and semantics (i.e. technical definitions) are consistent for every port and every ship. ISO standards for location identifiers and timestamps reinforce alignment with the port’s role at the heart of the global supply chain.
The exchange methods are simple, robust, and compatible with existing chains of command and contracts.
How do ports share this information?
The Port Call Optimization Guide explains how ports can interconnect with each other and potentially join a global network that securely displays this minimum data set consistently to the parties needing that data through a secure API.
What are the benefits of the Port Call Optimization Guide?
By publishing standardised, accurate, and timely core data, all parties can
...improve the efficiency and reliability of port calls by enabling better planning and asset allocation for ships, terminals, and nautical service providers.
...lower operational costs for shipping lines, shippers, terminals, ports, and service providers.
...enhance safety and compliance through clearer, consistent situational awareness.
...support environmental sustainability by reducing avoidable delays, waiting times, and associated emissions.
“If you’ve seen one port, you’ve seen one port” is a famous saying – meaning that every port is different. That may be true but now, thanks to the Port Call Optimization Guide, when it comes to data exchange there is no excuse not to synchronize.
Where can I download the Port Call Optimization Guide?
The Port Call Optimization Guide is available in the public domain and can be found here.
Enquiries about printed copies should be directed to Captain Ben van Scherpenzeel, Project Officer, IHMA: Scherpenzeel.ehmc@harbourmaster.org
Where can I read the two IMO submissions related to the Port Call Optimization Guide?
You can access FAL 50/INF.4 – Introduction of the Port Call Optimization (PCO) Guide: a guide for ports which provides access to a minimum set of port data for the safe and sustainable navigation of SOLAS vessels from port to port and berth to berth (IAPH and IHMA) here.
You can access FAL 50/17 – Proposal for a new output on the development of Guidelines on port nautical information (Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Germany, Estonia, United Arab Emirates, Norway, ICS, IHMA, IAPH, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO, BIMCO, IBTA, IFSMA) here.