Optimized pilotage services

The Laurentian Pilotage Authority (LPA) is a federal Crown corporation responsible for administering and providing marine pilotage services, commonly referred to as St. Lawrence pilots, in the waters of the St. Lawrence River and Saguenay River. The pilotage services supervised by the LPA concern all vessels operating in the compulsory pilotage areas located between Les Escoumins and Saint-Lambert, at the western extremity of the Port of Montréal.

Context of the project

Objectives : Improve the transit predictability of vessels operating in compulsory pilotage areas and improve the efficiency and safety of these operations; optimize fuel consumption, which will result in lower costs for operators as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Positive fallout

• Phase 1 (completed in July 2021): basic version of the software, which makes it possible to optimize vessel transit by integrating certain physical constraints (tides, water levels, etc.) and vessel characteristics (water draft, air draft, etc.), as well as applicable pilotage rules related to speed restrictions in some segments of the seaway. This software makes it possible to inform shipping companies and shipowners of the most optimal windows for making a continuous transit while minimizing the impact of constraints.
• Phase 2 (completed in August 2022): improvements made to the software, particularly through the addition of fuel consumption calculation algorithms. The calculation modules of the algorithms were also improved and pilotage rules were added to the model (seasonal pilotage rules, speed limits related to the presence of marine mammals and shoreline protection).
• Phase 3 (under consideration by the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable du Québec). The following constraints will be supported by transit optimization models:
  • data on the availability of port terminals at the ports of Montréal and Trois-Rivières;
  • anticipated docking time and dock departure time;
    priority list for passage through locks when traffic requires applying this regulation;
  • optimal arrival time at the destination; Phase 1 only supported the “optimal departure time” variable;
  • real-time availability of mooring areas; Phase 1 only listed the mooring areas;
  • guidelines applicable to large vessels concerning restrictions when crossing and overtaking;
  • identification by the user of the preferred fuel consumption and consideration of this variable in the optimized route generated by the OPS;
  • display screen of actual, anticipated and forecasted tidal curves by the Canadian Hydrographic Service.