(KONGSBERG, NORWAY — January 4, 2008) The Panamanian flag state administration has authorized the use of electronic logbooks onboard all Panamanian flag vessels. The backing of the electronic logbooks by the largest shipping flag state in the world is an important milestone for Kongsberg Maritime, who introduced the first such system in 2004 and is currently the leader in electronic logbook development.
Kongsberg Maritime’s current generation electronic logbook, K-Log is already installed on several vessels and approved by IMO and SOLAS, and accepted by Norway (NOR/NIS), Sweden, Denmark, United Kingdom (MCA), Bahamas, Singapore, Isle of Man, Marshall Islands and Malta. With Panamanian approval, a large proportion of the world’s merchant fleet is now able to make use of this forward-looking system.
“Panama plays a crucial role within the IMO and the world’s merchant fleet, so we are delighted that after much hard work, the flag state has approved the use of electronic logbooks,” comments Stig Whalstrøm, a product manager with Kongsberg Maritime. “K-Log provides a wealth of functionality over traditional logbooks, which Panamanian flag vessels can now benefit from to improve operations.”
“We have proven the operational and administration benefits of using electronic logbooks and are witnessing a great deal of interest, which we believe will only increase following the authorization by the Panamanian flag state. Electronic logbooks have an extremely bright future ahead of them, and we will continue our development and campaigning to ensure that the entire merchant fleet can benefit from this new technology,” said Stig Wahlstrøm.
