S-100 Data, PRIMAR

Canada S-100 Sea Trials: PRIMAR at the Core of Data Delivery

Apr 09, 2025

The first large-scale test of S-100 products will take place in Canada’s challenging waterways from June 2025. During the Canada S-100 Sea Trials, participants will engage in maritime planning, navigation, and monitoring using the new S-100 products. At the heart of the trials, PRIMAR will ensure secure distribution of the various data types.

The Canada S-100 Sea Trials represent a comprehensive real-world test of the S-100 standard. The Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) is spearheading the initiative as a leading producer of several S-100 products.

The timing is ideal, as the S-100 product standard now has matured enough to be tested by both producers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in real-world scenarios.

ECDIS Development

The primary objective is to stimulate S-100 ECDIS development. In parallel, the trials will showcase the practical application of S-100 products for port authorities, VTS centers, and pilotage services.

The testing will take place from June to November 2025 along the St. Lawrence River. This is one of Canada’s busiest commercial waterways, spanning over 190 nautical miles of complex conditions, including strong currents and tidal ranges up to six meters.

The river is equipped with numerous real-time sensors for tides and currents, making it an ideal testing ground for new S-100 data products..

Aerial view of cargo ship on St. Lawrence River to illustrate navigation with S-100 products

Aerial view of cargo ship on St. Lawrence River, where the Canada S-100 Sea Trials will take place.

Physical and Simulated Environments

Participants are encouraged to join the trials physically, but those located elsewhere in the world can access the datasets via simulators supporting the new data formats. This allows for truly global engagement.

During the trials, participants will explore the interplay between multiple S-100 products, including:

S-101: Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC)
S-102: Bathymetric Surface
S-104: Water Level Information for Surface Navigation
S-111: Surface Currents
S-124: Navigational Warnings
S-128: Catalogue of Navigational Products
S-129: Under Keel Clearance Management (UKCM)

More to read: S-100 - The Digitalization of Safety, Efficiency, and Sustainability at Sea

PRIMAR’s Key Role in Data Delivery

As a RENC with deep expertise in IHO’s new S-100 framework, PRIMAR has collaborated closely with CHS over the years. In the Canada Sea Trials, PRIMAR will play a central role, focusing on quality assurance, secure data flow, encryption, and update mechanisms.

PRIMAR’s responsibilities include:

Necessary preparation to handle the data workflow and involve participants in the Sea Trial. The Sea Trial participants will register according to PRIMAR’s requirements.
S-100 data import and distribution of the following products: S-57, S-101 edition 2.0, S-102 edition 3.0, S-104 edition 2.0 and S-111 edition 2.0. Data will be made available as S-100 edition 5.2 and distributed encrypted according to S-100 part 15.
Limited checking of data on upload to PRIMAR’s database. The upload checks will be defined by PRIMAR.
Support end-users and follow them up to make sure they get the S-100 data.

Strong Industry Response to Canada S-100 Sea Trials

Registration opened in March, and the response from various user groups has been enthusiastic:

OEMs, being able to test system integration and validation of S-100 capabilities.
Port authorities and VTS centers, getting access to explore enhanced decision support for monitoring and traffic management.
Pilotage services: Evaluating the real-time usability of S-100 products during operations.

More information and registration details are available at the project site for Canada S-100 Sea Trials.

Challenges and Opportunities for PRIMAR

When the trial is scheduled to begin in June, PRIMAR will be at the core of it all. This presents both opportunities and challenges, with testing of the distribution capacity for S-100 data in an operational environment.

The scope of the project affects PRIMAR’s entire value chain and is therefore a very important test to ensure data delivery from producer, via suppliers, and to an end-user system.

In other words, a sharp test where we can practice delivering datasets that work: Are they delivered, and are they displayed correctly, with the different layers of information, such as bathymetric data, tide, and current, functioning together in an ECDIS?

PRIMAR will also look at the possibility of testing the parallel distribution of ENCs in both S-57 and S-101 formats, which will need to run during a transitional period.

This is PRIMAR: Pushing For an S-100 Future That's Already Here

What to Gain for PRIMAR

This project will be of great interest to all PRIMAR member nations as they at present are focusing on the manufacturing of S-100 products.

PRIMAR Director Hans Chr. Lauritzen points to several reasons for supporting CHS in their S-100 Sea Trials:

— By supporting the trial, we build further on the close cooperation PRIMAR has established with CHS over several years within reception, validation, and distribution of several types of S-100 products. The trial will give us further experience with our S-100 distribution system, and it opens up for the reception of the first official ENCs in the S-101 format, says Lauritzen.

Thorough Development of S-100

In the preparations and during the trials, we will gain insight into whether the new standards function according to the IHO’s intentions, whether PRIMAR is able to receive and further distribute the product types, and whether the receiver can easily install them in their end-user systems.

The goal is to capture user experiences and adapt accordingly in the further development of PRIMAR’s services. We are also curious about how the users experience the new products overall, and what value this may create for safety at sea.

And all these objectives depend on the perhaps single most important activity: An increasingly closer collaboration with all parties involved in this value chain.

In future navigation and planning, this will become critical, as such tasks increasingly depend on access to dynamic information about tides and currents.

— We want to contribute to increased knowledge among the end users participating in the trial, about how they should use the S-100 products to carry out safer and more efficient navigation, says the PRIMAR Director.

The Goal is ECDIS

One of the most exciting parts of the Sea Trials is the close cooperation with OEMs:

The hope is that testing of now mature standards can demonstrate the value of the new product types and thereby inspire ECDIS vendors to develop support for the S-100 standard.