The International Hydrographic Association (IHO) developed the S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model (S-100) to align with the future demand for digital products and services. S-100 outlines data set requirements for several maritime products, including the new Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) standard, labeled S-101.

Under S-101, situational awareness will increase for the navigating end-user, with all data cohesively presented on a single charting application platform. Cartographic features under S-101 will closely resemble the current display format, limiting the learning curve for mariners.

The end goal is to replace all legacy S-57 ENC products with S-101. This standard applies to Electronic Navigational Display & Information Systems (ECDIS) and other maritime navigation systems. To support the change to S-101, the IHO has introduced the concept of “Dual Fuel.”

Dual Fuel Mode refers to a system’s ability to process data from both charting formats, S-57, and S-101. All ECDIS systems must have Dual Fuel capabilities by 2024 to support the IHO’s shift towards full S-101 standard compliance by 2030.

With navigation charting systems needing to be updated or replaced in coming years, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), the producers of the legacy S-57 ECDIS systems, should begin S-101 development efforts now. International Maritime Organization (IMO) certified ECDIS development will be time-consuming and costly for OEMs and have an operational impact on end-users if not done seamlessly.

In anticipation of these challenges, the GeoNavigation Technologies (GNT) team has produced a series of tools to aid development efforts. UNIFY, available now, supports Dual Fuel Mode.

Built on our S-100 compliant G-Arc kernel technology platform, UNIFY meets S-101 ECDIS charting requirements. The application works by connecting all other products to a queryable Web Mapping Service (WMS) to make chart overlays and other query features available to operators. UNIFY mitigates the high development cost and limits operational interruptions by integrating with your existing S-57 systems.

Essentially, UNIFY helps bridge the gap between your current systems and the ability to present S-100 information in other applications.