More to come from MoorMaster
The MoorMaster units for Port Hedland have been adapted to cope with difficult conditions, including flooding and abrasive iron ore dust.
Maritime systems supplier Cavotec MSL has received the largest order to date for the vacuum based automated mooring solution, MoorMaster, from the typhoon-ridden Port Hedland in Western Australia.
Similar to current units in the MoorMaster range, the PHPA’s version will be able to secure a vessel in under 20 seconds, and release in less than seven seconds - eliminating the need for conventional mooring lines.
Under the contract, Cavotec will supply 14 MoorMaster 200B units for the Port Hedland Port Authority (PHPA) iron ore facility. The systems will service vessels at the port’s Utah Point berth. Cavotec will also provide commissioning and on site training support. If the initial 14 units prove successful, additional MoorMaster systems could be installed in PHPA’s Number 1 berth.
‘We face particularly exacting requirements at Port Hedland as operating conditions are especially severe. We believe this version of MoorMaster will be able to handle these challenges while providing significant time savings and increased safety for personnel compared to traditional mooring techniques’, said PHPA CEO, Andre Bush.
‘We always strive to develop a close working relationship with our customers to better meet their specific needs. With this project, we have created an entirely new version of one of our existing systems’, said Cavotec MSL CEO Ottonel Popesco.
The 200B units are designed to handle any tidal level at the port and moor vessels of up to 120,000dwt at 14.0m draft (295m LOA and 41m beam).
The PHPA deal follows the recent announcement that Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) placed a follow-up order for two additional MoorMaster systems. The systems for the SLSMC were also specially designed for use in the Seaway, where the units will deal with water level variations of up to 14m.
MoorMaster has already been installed by Searoad Shipping Australia, Toll in New Zealand, at the APM Terminals container facility at the Port of Salalah in Oman, and will be used on three high frequency fast ferry routes in Denmark, operated by Nordic Ferry Services A/S.
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