Significant Support from ITU for the Project to Protect the Bosphorus from Ship-induced Pollution

Ships polluting the sea in the Black Sea section of the Bosphorus will be detected by a remote monitoring system. Within the scope of the "Marine Pollution Detection for the Northern Region of the Bosphorus Project" initiated by IC İçtaş İnşaat and supported by ITU, a radar system with cameras was installed on Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. Ships polluting the Bosphorus will be monitored by the camera and radar system. The system aims to prevent the sea and the coastline from being polluted by ship waste.

ICA will detect pollution originating from ships with the "Development of Ship-induced Marine Pollution Detection, Monitoring and Analysis System for the Northern Region of the Bosphorus Project" using remote sensing technologies. The remote monitoring system used in the project, which contributes to the protection of the marine environment, coastline and human health and was implemented with the scientific support of Istanbul Technical University Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Center, was installed on a bridge for the first time in Turkey and the world.

ICA, the subsidiary of IC İçtaş İnşaat that undertook the construction and operation of Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and Northern Ring Motorway, aims to protect the marine environment, coastline and human health in the Bosphorus with the "Marine Pollution Detection for the Northern Region of the Bosphorus Project" it has initiated in line with its sustainability-oriented business approach. In the project implemented with the scientific support of Istanbul Technical University Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Center, pollution originating from ships will be detected using remote sensing technologies.

The remote monitoring system was installed on a bridge for the first time in the world

The remote monitoring system used in the project was installed and started being used on a bridge, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, for the first time in Turkey and the world. Within the scope of the project, the northern side of Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge will be continuously scanned by means of the software for monitoring, and the pollution will be detected by monitoring the ships entering and leaving the Black Sea in an area of 2.5 kilometers. The system will be monitored by the Directorate General of Coastal Safety, the Coast Guard Command, relevant units of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Istanbul Technical University Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Center.  

“We will provide sustainable protection for the people of the region, the marine environment and the coastline”

ICA General Manager Serhat Soğukpınar gave information about the project and pointed out that the Bosphorus, which is one of the most important waterways in the world, is the most important passage connecting the Black Sea basin to the Mediterranean and other important waterway basins. Soğukpınar said, “The cargo volume of ships passing through the Bosphorus has increased significantly in recent years. In particular, the frequency of transit of tankers and the increase in oil and chemical cargoes carried through the Bosphorus increase the risk of pollution of this important waterway by oil and its derivatives. Marine pollution originating from ships, detection and prevention of this pollution is of great importance for the environment and human health. With the "Bosphorus Marine Pollution Detection Project", we aim to minimize the negative effects by ensuring that the pollution is detected immediately with the systems that detect the pollution in the northern part of the Bosphorus, and then the pollution is intervened with the most appropriate response equipment/methods.”

Emphasizing that the control center for the project, which they initiated with the awareness of their responsibilities towards Istanbul and all of Turkey, was established in the Main Control Center, where ICA monitors the entire highway and bridge 24/7, Soğukpınar said, “With the equipment such as the camera and radar system installed for the project, the type, spread and dimensions of the pollution will be estimated, the results and effects of the pollution will be analyzed and reported. Most importantly, we will provide sustainable protection for the people of the region, the marine environment and the coastline. The dynamic data to be obtained will also contribute to scientific studies.”

“We can position this system as a 'spark' project”

ITU Turkish Straits Maritime Application and Research Center Director Prof. Dr. Özcan Arslan said the following about the project: “It is very important for us to protect all our seas, especially our Straits and the Marmara Sea due to their special structure. In order for our seas to survive, it is necessary to detect all kinds of pollutants, to intervene in and to prevent pollution. Thanks to this system installed on Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge, instant information flow about pollution will be provided to all stakeholder organizations in a synchronized manner. In this way, when a possible pollution from ships arises in the region, the polluting ships will be easily detected and also pollution intervention will take place very quickly. And in many cases, even knowing the existence of the system will act as a deterrent on its own. In developed countries, similar systems are implemented and pollution is prevented quickly, especially by means of various penalties and strict sanctions. As ITU Turkish Straits Maritime Application Center (ITUBOA), we are proud to play a role in the development of such a project. Allocating a significant budget to the project, ICA fulfilled a very important social responsibility. As ITUBOA, we will use the data we obtain from here in our academic studies. Moreover, there will be additional benefits of the project such as search and rescue activities and maritime traffic planning. Our project actually has a multiplier effect in that it is synchronized with all stakeholders, including academia. Therefore, we can position it as a 'spark' project. After all, with the installation of these systems at critical points in the Turkish seas, we will have done a very important service for the protection of our seas.”

About the system used

The SeaCOP system used in the "Development of Ship-induced Marine Pollution Detection, Monitoring and Analysis System for the Northern Region of the Bosphorus Project" is a unified command and control software that combines multiple sensors and platforms on a map-based basis to create environmental awareness and supports the operator to analyze and make decisions. The system is currently being used by the Norwegian Coastal administration. It is also established in Azerbaijan for the detection of surface and underwater pollution in the Caspian Sea and the control of the pipeline.