Dredging and port Renewables Round-up

Hamburg renews floating pump station to aid dredging

Called Sauger III, the customised pump station has been built by Damen Shipyards Group to support dredging operations and has been installed by Hamburg Port Authority (HPA).

On the River Elbe about 110 km inland, Hamburg is Germany’s largest port and, with a tidal range of 3.6 m, requires regular dredging.

Sauger III, which is 37 m long and 10 m wide, was built “to a completely new design following a European tender process that began with ten yards and was finally won by Damen,” a company spokesman stated. “It’s the first vessel we’ve built for HPA.”

Essentially a pontoon, it was constructed over 15 months at Damen’s Hardinxveld yard and features a powerful, dual pump installation capable of managing very large volumes of sediment. Damen Dredging Equipment built the dredge pump using the same moulds as previously used by HPA, while the jet pump is a standard Damen design.

“The dredge pump takes contaminated mud from barges that come alongside to offload, and then ultimately pumps it ashore via a floating line,” the spokesman explained. “The second jet pump/arm combination adds sea water to the mud to keep it in a liquefied state. The sediment is cleaned as it passes through the pumping apparatus, allowing it to be safely placed or used for a variety of purposes.”

Operated by a two-man crew and electrically powered from the shore, Sauger III does not have an independent propulsion system, but is moored against piles. It was designed and built to comply with German regulations and is certified by Germanischer Lloyd. It’s currently undergoing commissioning and trials and will begin operations in 3Q/2016.

Finally, and a nice touch, Sauger III was towed from Hardinxveld to Hamburg by the Noordstroom, a new Damen Shoalbuster 3512 – the largest Shoalbuster built to date – that was handed over to owner Van Wijngaarden Marine Services by the same yard just a few weeks previously.

The fifth Damen vessel to join the 14-strong Van Wijngaarden fleet, Noordstroom has a bollard pull of 56 tonnes, a deck area totalling 145 m²; and is a multi-purpose workboat whose roles including towing, mooring, pushing, anchor handling, dredge support, supplying and more.

>> www.hamburg-port-authority.de + www.damen.nl

Safety first for APM Terminals Bahrain

Operators of Khalifa bin Salman Port (KBSP), APMT Bahrain has renewed and upgraded safety followed successful implementation of ‘Project Stack’, a container yard load collision prevention system (LCPS) that will be rolled out across APMT’s global network.

PMT Bahrain was selected as the first terminal to introduce and live-test the LCPS – following two years of research, engineering and initial testing – which is designed to reduce the risk of accidents due to collisions in the container yard between container handling equipment and stacked containers.

“Technical innovations and procedural changes were put into place on KBSP’s rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and reach stackers (RS),” a spokesman said. “The investments made in collision avoidance and distance detection systems included cameras on all RTGs to remove blind spots faced by operators, and enhanced night vision features. Plans are now in hand to introduce the new equipment and procedures at other facilities as the improved safety features are rolled out globally.”

Other APMT Bahrain upgrade initiatives include a ‘total productive maintenance’ programme, designed to maximise equipment reliability and performance, that’s seen operators and maintenance teams trained in new skill sets. In addition, a differential global positioning system has been implemented on RTGs that ensures container positions are updated automatically – “eliminating the possibility of human error and creating a safer working environment,” the spokesman said, adding: “The existing terminal operating system (TOS) is also being upgraded to include verified gross mass capability to help customers comply with the recent IMO SOLAS amendment.”

Overall, APMT’s 19 managers from 16 countries who recently graduated from the 18-month MAGNUM accelerated leadership programme have also contributed to system upgrades, including a new truck safety programme for external truck drivers delivering or picking up containers.

“With the successful completion of a pilot programme at five terminals, this new initiative will be in place across our entire global network by year-end,” the spokesman stated.

>> www.apmterminals.com

Pilots hail Brisbane’s radar renewal

‘Unmatched’ is the word port of Brisbane pilots are using to describe the performance of renewed navigational equipment from Navico Group specialist Simrad.

One of Australia’s fastest growing container ports, Brisbane has installed Simrad systems aboard three pilot boats, the latest being Amity during a refit. The equipment includes a NSS12 evo2, 12-inch chart-plotter and multifunction display with GPS positioning, supported by a Simrad GS25 GPS antenna as well as the recently-launched Halo radar that operates using pulse compression technology.

Speaking for the Brisbane Marine Pilots Authority, senior coxswain Neal Higgs commented, “We are seeing a range of benefits from the new Halo pulse compression technology. For pilots, one of the most important advantages is the simultaneous display of close and long-range targets. It’s like having two open scanners combined in one. The super-clear display has no clutter and unmatched target resolution. This latest technology provides us with invaluable support in the safe navigation of ships in Brisbane’s busy port approaches and terminal areas.”

Halo radar has also been chosen for an entirely new pilot boat currently under construction at Brisbane-based Norman R. Wright and Sons for Darwin Port Pilot Service.

Navico Commercial Division managing director Jose Herrero explained the technology, which has taken over ten years and USD15 million to develop.

“Halo pulse compression radar is solid-state, requires no warm-up time, and is therefore instantly available – and, unlike magnetron-based radar systems, there is no damaging radiation requiring systems to be turned off as pilots embark and leave vessels.

“Other benefits include bright, easy-to-use screens, dual cartography support from both Navionics and C-map, and instant updates available online,” he added.

>> www.navico.com/commercial + www.brisbanepilots.com.au

US environmental bucket for European dredging contractor

Looking for more accuracy and environment-friendly equipment, a European dredging contractor has bought a custom-designed Cable Arm environmental bucket in renewing equipment aboard one of its dredgers

The vessel is a small trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) fitted with a grab and optimised for complex dredging in channels and harbours. The contractor has both renewed and upgraded the vessel’s normal grab with the Cable Arm environmental 3.5 m³ shallow-cut bucket, which has a 3.3 m x 3.6 m footprint – not least because more accuracy was required.

Speaking to IHS DPC, Cable Arm president Ray Bergeron commented, “Our new hydraulic environmental clamshells are ideal for thin sediment removal. Designed with a large, over-square footprint that maximises area coverage per bite, the level-cut design allows the clamshells to scrape off the top contaminated sediment, without leaving potholes for contaminants to settle back into.

“The hydraulic cylinders utilise a pushing force to close the clamshell, providing the best energy-to-power ratio on the market. In the event that a job requires a different depth of cut, the clamshell has a semi-adjustable top screen plate to increase/decrease bucket volume.

“Importantly,” he added, “the material screen plates are designed to lower water content, which lowers transportation and treatment costs. The venting system with flaps allows water to pass through while descending, and encloses the bucket while ascending, decreasing both resistance and material washout. The overlapping side plates further reduce material loss by blocking the path of material ‘windowing’ during bucket closure.”

>> www.cablearm.com

Weeks Marine upgrades TSHD Magdalen

US contractor Weeks Marine has ordered a dynamic positioning and tracking (DP-DT) system and eco-pump controllers for its newbuilding 6,540m³ trailing suction hopper dredger from Netherlands-based Royal IHC.

“The two efficiency-enhancing systems, provided by our North American subsidiary IHC America, will considerably optimise Magdalen’sdredging performance, enhance fuel savings and reduce emissions,” states IHC Systems managing director Rens Klootwijk. “The 111 m-long vessel is under construction at the Eastern Shipbuilding Group in Panama City, Florida, and will be delivered in 2017.

“IHC’s unique DP/DT system is the benchmark for TSHDs and has already been delivered to nearly 40 vessels,” he continued. “It provides more than the common vessel and environmental models and additionally processes the ‘third unknown’ – the varying forces generated by dredging and the interaction with the sea floor. And that gives the capability to accurately maintain – and shift – the dredging track, course and speed.

“The eco-pump control package governs the vessel’s dredge pumps,” Klootwijk explained. “This allows them to continuously operate at the most efficient speed, without operator interaction. The system’s artificial intelligence effectively optimises suction and discharge operations – a combination that eases the operator’s task and has demonstrated a substantial improvement in the hopper loading and unloading processes.

“We are delighted to be providing Weeks with valuable support once again,” he concluded. “They will benefit further from such advanced equipment, which will contribute to a more efficient dredging performance.”

>> www.weeksmarine.com + www.royalihc.com

>> Digest

Evolving fender best practice

In an effort to drive up standards and improve safety across the industry, PIANC is focussing on evolving best practice guidance for fender systems – backed by Trelleborg’s marine systems operation.

Trelleborg president Richard Hepworth commented, “As a PIANC Platinum Partner, we support the important work the organisation does in setting guidance for ports and vessels alike. Trelleborg and PIANC have held extensive talks on the best way to approach potential updates to PIANC’s 2002 ‘Guidelines for the Design of Fender Systems’, in order to ensure falsified test certification is eliminated from the industry.”

>> www.pianc.org + www.trelleborg.com

DP World Melbourne upgrades

“We are committed to working towards an ultimate policy of zero harm to people and the environment, which is why Kalmar straddle carriers have been chosen for our existing terminal in Melbourne for their energy efficiency, reliability and operator comfort.”

That was the comment from DP World Australia COO Max Kruse Kalmar as his company ordered ten diesel-electric straddle carriers from Cargotec subsidiary Kalmar for its West Swanson terminal in Melbourne – the machines will be delivered during 3Q/2016.

>> www.cargotec.com

Split barges for Wasa

Being built at Scheepswerf Pattje Waterhuizen, the Netherlands, the two new 65 m-long split barges for Finnish contractor Wasa Dredging will also feature electrical systems designed, built, and installed by Dutch specialists Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology (PBE).

“We will also supply the alarm system, fire detection and steering consoles,” said PBE project manager Peter Roskam. “Our flexibility has been critical for this project, which has a relatively short lead time and is due to be completed in early October – Wasa Dredging already has a job lined up for the two vessels.”

>> http://pattjewaterhuizen.nl + www.pietbrouwer.nl + www.wasadredging.fi

Source: Fairplay