Reinforcing the front line of port operations
Reducing historical and emerging risks
The berthing of vessels is notoriously hazardous, and the industry figures speak for themselves. According to data published last year by maritime ESG company, Rightship, around 50% of maritime incidents occurred within port or terminal boundaries during 2022. This includes while at berth or using facilities, waiting at anchorage or during transit. Furthermore, nearly 34% of these took place at docks. Looking at this from a different perspective, the UK Protection and Insurance Club have previously reported that over the last 20 years, 6% of injuries that occurred during mooring operations were due to equipment failure.
It’s clear that there are still gaps to be addressed to reduce the number of dangerous mooring incidents, such as the 30 August 2021 death of the Teal Bay’s chief officer after he was struck by a mooring line when it sprang out of an open roller fairlead. Like so many incidents, there were several safety issues subsequently identified. Docking and mooring requires the attention of many people as well as a wide variety of accessories.
And as the March 2022 incident involving the Valaris DS-16 drilling unit demonstrated, risks need to be managed long after the initial docking operation has been completed. The Valaris DS-16 was in layup at a US shipyard when it broke away from the dock, drifted across the channel, and collided with a bulk carrier during strong winds after one of the shipyard’s mooring bollards failed.
The bollard had been modified to increase its height to accommodate more lines. As the investigation report noted, with increasing vessel size, bollards that were previously sufficient may no longer have adequate capacity.
The increasing number of ultra-large container ships in operation is a good example of this, but there has been massive growth in the size of other vessel types as well, including cruise ships and LNG carriers.
Offshore terminals are increasingly popular for larger, deep draught ships. They avoid the expense of dredging close to shore, but these deepwater terminals are usually more exposed to harsh weather conditions, adding to the risks that need to be managed to ensure safe operation.
Regulation, along with technical and market developments, mean that safety and environmental protection are issues that continue to evolve. It’s important for ports to keep pace.
These examples spotlight the vulnerability of ship owners, cargo owners and ports to experiencing the unplanned downtime, reduced service levels and both human and reputational cost caused by incidents. Ports therefore need to take an integrated approach to ensuring their berthing structures are safe when they are initially installed and that they remain so throughout their lifetime.
Smarter, safer docking and mooring
Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure has developed its SmartPort concept to strengthen the critical interface between ship and port, on land and at sea. It connects port operations, allowing operators to analyze performance and use data to improve decision making. The system integrates assets like fenders, mooring equipment, ship performance monitoring, and navigation systems, and is underpinned by cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.
In the context of maritime and shipping, access to real time data is becoming especially important. As a leader in developing automated mooring systems, we have seen the transformation that using data to make more informed decisions on aspects such as line tension and vessel position has had on improving safe, efficient berthing. We have advanced this through introducing Trelleborg’s ground-breaking AutoMoor solution which is part of the SmartPort portfolio. The rope-free automated mooring system was recently delivered to the Port of Langnas’ cruise and ferry terminals. The Port is situated in the Baltic Sea on the archipelago of Aland, which has intensive ferry traffic between Sweden and Finland via Aland, making efficiency and safety important considerations when choosing mooring solutions.
Using vacuum technology to rapidly attach and secure a vessel at berth, AutoMoor reduces vessel motions and continuously monitors all mooring loads acting on the vessel at berth. This provides live data to the operator to optimize day-to-day port and terminal operations. AutoMoor also minimizes personnel involvement, reducing human error and improving safety, while helping ports and terminals become more environmentally efficient by reducing mooring time. Traditionally, the process can take between five minutes for a ro-ro ferry berth to as much as two hours for a bulk cargo terminal at an exposed location, but the system reduces the mooring operation to around 30 seconds. This offers both commercial and environmental advantages as vessels spend less time idling, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and emissions. For ferries and cruise ships this also benefits passenger turnaround times or for other vessels, a quicker product transfer time. Once a vessel is moored, AutoMoor operates in a power efficiency mode, using minimal power to monitor mooring forces while the vessel is at berth, again reducing demand for auxiliary or shoreside power.
Transitioning from mooring systems that transfer lines onto bollards to vacuum technology is a significant shift for port operators. Progression is currently being held back through a lack of product specifications and standards. That is why Trelleborg is championing the development of standards for these more intelligent solutions so that more ports can feel confident about making the change. By doing so, they will be empowered to reduce incidents, lower in-port emissions and offer customers a faster service to stay competitive.
For ports and terminals, particularly in the oil and gas sector, that continue to use traditional mooring techniques, the use of our SmartMoor quick release hooks can be integrated into other Trelleborg systems to support safer operations in hazardous environments. With proven performance over 50 years the SmartMoor series has removed some of the risk from mooring lines, particularly by enabling remote release and load monitoring while ensuring that hooks cannot impact the deck under any configuration. This is particularly important for avoiding any contact that could cause ignition sparks in hazardous areas such as LNG terminals.
Avoiding ‘false economy’ fender systems
More broadly, all ports have unique requirements and challenges when it comes to the ships that call and the services they provide. Winds, tides, and currents vary as much as expectations for future traffic flow over a harbour’s 50+ year design life.
There’s no off-the-shelf solution for all, and fender systems are an example of how the design, engineering, quality control and maintenance of each component of berthing solutions play a part in enabling safe and optimised operations. A slew of cheap, poorly designed and low-quality fenders is currently on the market with manufacturers of these products promising performance at low-cost prices. Without expert guidance it is inevitable that port operators and their consultants will be unable to distinguish the merits of competing solutions, and could unwittingly jeopardise operations if basing decisions on cost alone.
These assets can easily be ignored amid the tide of digital transition, yet their value should not be underestimated. Earlier this year, the Nautical Institute, cited the case of a tanker, where although everything appeared normal at the time, the vessel’s hull was pierced by the upper edge of a fender that was unprotected. Although the impact while berthing and from the tugs pushing was so minor that no one noticed, it was still enough to pierce the hull.
A lack of rigorous, independent testing and standardised certification is exacerbating the issue of distorted and significantly differentiated quality and value in the marketplace. It is still acceptable for manufacturers to conduct their own performance tests and self-certify products. This distinct conflict of interest and lack of standardisation means that customers have no benchmark or third-party quality assurance regarding the design and components of fenders.
Designing and implementing reliable fender systems is crucial to preventing damage to vessel's structural components, ensuring port operations run smoothly and supporting a sustainable profile by limiting frequent fender replacements. Given the current, largely-unregulated market, it is important that they are developed with specialists who can understand the technical landscape and deliver the core engineering, design, quality and maintenance aspects, whilst setting these factors into the real-world context of variable port environments. Port operators may also want to consider the materials used within the fender systems, such as sustainably sourced rubber.
Fender design continues to advance. Late last year, Trelleborg announced that it is delivering high-performance marine fender systems for PetroVietnam Gas' Thi Vai LNG Terminal in Vietnam. As part of the agreement, Trelleborg is providing four sets of its Super Cone Fenders (SCN), the latest generation of fenders, to optimize performance and efficiency. The conical body shape makes the SCN very stable even at large compression angles, and provides excellent shear strength. The overload stops inside the fender make it even more resistant to over-compression.
Bringing it all together
Also at PetroVietnam Gas' Thi Vai LNG Terminal, Trelleborg will supply its SmartMoor Quick Release Hooks; its Load Monitoring System which measures and displays critical mooring line tensions; and its Docking Aid System which provides information such as distances, angles, and speeds to pilots and jetty operators. Additionally, the terminal will utilize Trelleborg’s Environmental Monitoring System which provides weather, tide, current and wave information to the staff at the berth, at the operations centre, or to the vessel to maximize the berth’s operating window.
The comprehensive package of solutions was developed considering the port's specific requirements and operating conditions. Taking an integrated approach to reviewing the performance and potential of berthing structure means that any risks are eliminated, and that berthing is as safe, smooth and sustainable as possible.
The power of integration
With larger vessels, increased cargo volumes, improved safety awareness, and tightening environmental regulations, today’s ports face a variety of significant challenges. To meet these new demands and remain competitive, engineering consultants and port operators need to take a holistic approach to identifying where there are complementary opportunities to improve efficiency, safety and environmental performance. The product and implementation partners that they choose to work with also must demonstrate specialised knowledge and experience so that operators are confident in their investment decisions. Trelleborg is passionate about future-proofing port operations and is ready to help.
References
https://www.nautinst.org/resources-page/202325-a-berthing-plan-fails.html
https://www.nautinst.org/resources-page/202214-hull-breached-by-unprotected-fender.html
https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/Pages/DCA22FM013.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/maib-reports/mooring-deck-accident-on-general-cargo-vessel-teal-bay-with-loss-of-1-life
https://www.gard.no/web/articles?documentId=33943949
https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Safety/Pages/SafeMooring.aspx