Western Daily Press (Saturday)
UKHO to stop printing paper charts from 2026
FOR more than 200 years amateur sailors, Royal Navy officers and captains of gigantic commercial ships have relied on elaborate charts printed by the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) to safely navigate the high seas.
This week, though, the slightly obscure branch of the Ministry of Defence based in Taunton has announced its intention to end the production of the large-scale printed charts that mariners across the globe have long considered the world’s finest.
It said its portfoiio of Admiralty Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts will be withdrawn by 2026 as marine, naval and leisure customers are now primarily using digital products and services for navigation.
UKHO was founded in 1795 when King George III was on the throne, in a very different era when Admiral Nelson was doing battle with the navies of France and Spain, among others.
For the first 150 years of its existence the UKHO was based in the Admirality in London, but during the Second World War chart printing moved to Taunton.
The whole organisation followed suit by the mid-1960s and today approximately 900 people work at its headquarters on Admiralty Way, off the Toneway.
Its vast archive of charts and other naval records are also housed there.
The collection dates back to the 17th century and treasured items include a chart of Portsmouth harbour from the 1620s, the first government-sponsored hydrographic survey of Great Britain, surveys by Captain James Cook and records relating to HMS Beagle and Charles Darwin.
Peter Sparkes, chief executive of the UKHO, said: “The decision to commence the process of withdrawing from paper chart production will allow us to increase our focus on advanced digital services that meet the needs of today’s seafarers.
“As we look to the future, our core purpose remains the safety of shipping operations and delivering the best possible navigation solutions to achieve that.
“Whether for the Royal Navy, commercial vessels or other ocean users, our focus is on developing and delivering Admiralty digital services that promote safe, secure and thriving oceans.
“We understand the significance of this announcement, given the distinguished history of the UKHO’s paper chart production and the trust that mariners have placed in Admiralty
charts over the generations. We will support users of SNCs during the withdrawal of our paper chart portfolio and work with our distributors to help users switch to digital alternatives between now and our planned date of 2026.”
It said it would work with bodies such as the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and global regulatory bodies during the transition process.
Baroness Goldie, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence, said: “The world has changed unrecognisably in recent years, driven by digitalisation and rapid technological advancement.
“When it comes to maritime, one of our priorities at the Ministry of Defence is to make shipping as safe as possible; to achieve this, the industry must continue transitioning to digital tools and technology that share data almost instantly from ship-to-ship or ship-to-shore.
“As one of the world’s leading authorities on navigational charts, the UKHO is well positioned to recognise the need to deliver a range of digital solutions that enhance safety and data accuracy.
“The decision to focus on digital products and services makes strategic and commercial sense, helping usher in a new era of maritime navigation, which will be powered by digital innovations.”