It said plans to withdraw the UKHO’s portfolio of Admiralty Standard Nautical Charts (SNCs) and Thematic Charts are in response to more marine, naval, and leisure users primarily using digital products and services for navigation.
The Admiralty Maritime Data Solutions digital navigation portfolio can be updated in near real-time, “greatly enhancing safety of life at sea (SOLAS)”, it added.
The phased withdrawal of paper charts from production will take place over a number of years and is anticipated to conclude in late 2026.
In parallel, the UKHO said it will develop viable, official digital alternatives for sectors still using paper chart products.
This will be a carefully managed process, conducted in close liaison with all customers and stakeholders, including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) as well as other regulatory bodies, hydrographic offices, industry partners, and distributors.
UKHO chief executive Peter Sparkes 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.
“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.”
Sparkes added the move to “digital navigation solutions” has been accompanied by a rapid decline in demand for paper charts, “driven by the SOLAS-mandated transition to ECDIS and the wider benefits of digital solutions, including the next generation of navigation services”.
“Shipping is moving quickly towards a future underpinned by digital innovations, enhanced satellite connectivity at sea and optimised data solutions, supporting the next generation of navigation,” he said.
“The UKHO aims to be at the vanguard of this digital transition, continuing to provide the assured and globally trusted Admiralty navigation services that seafarers the world over depend on.”
Baroness Goldie, minister of state at the UK government’s Ministry of Defence, added: “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.
“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.”
Richard Bell, assistant director for UK Technical Services Navigation at the MCA, added: “We are committed to working closely with the UKHO, stakeholders, and industry to make this vision a reality. Close liaison will be essential, to ensure that the technical and legislative barriers to the proposed change are overcome in advance of the UKHO’s 2026 timeline.”
As of 2016, the UKHO was a fully digital print operation, using HP PageWide XLs and MBO folding kit. It had previously operated two litho presses, one from Manroland and one from Mitsubishi, for around 15 years.
On its current setup, the UKHO told Printweek: “Our charts are printed on HP digital printers. A number of models are used, the majority now and over the next month all will [be] printed by our distributor network. Models used are the HP PageWide series and the HP Z9. Charts printed by our distributors are finished by hand.”
