St. Lawrence Seaway

We’ve won a second order for our automated mooring system from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC). A vital trade link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, the Seaway’s use of MoorMaster™ promises to continue cutting vessel transit time and creating a safer environment for those working on board ships and shore-side.

MoorMaster™ is a vacuum-based automated mooring technology that moors vessels in seconds, eliminating the need for conventional mooring lines. The system counteracts vessel surge in port caused by changes in wave dynamics.  While MoorMaster™ was conceived and designed to cope with changes in water level of up to four metres in ports, Cavotec adapted the system for the SLSMC to deal with variations of up to 14 metres. The Seaway is the world’s first inland waterway to contemplate replacing mooring ropes and cables with MoorMaster™.

MoorMaster™ built into the wall of Lock 7

The SLSMC originally ordered two MoorMaster™ units which underwent testing in 2007 and 2008.  These units have shown promise within the operating environment found at the St. Lawrence Seaway. This new order will see Cavotec deliver two new MoorMaster™ systems, and retrofit the two existing units. Deliveries and installation are set for completion by the end of the summer, when all four units will automate the mooring at Lock 7 on the Welland Canal. Under the deal, Cavotec will also provide commissioning and local training.

The order follows a rigorous testing program over the past two years. The systems will be engineered and manufactured at Cavotec facilities in New Zealand and North America.

Opened in 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway is comprised of 13 Canadian and 2 U.S. locks, and enables vessels to transit from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes at the heart of North America.  The Seaway is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009, with over 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued in excess of $375 billion having transited the system since its inception.

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.

Here is a selction of news items following the press release regarding our Airport Market Unit’s strong start to 2009:

Airport Technology, March 16, 2009

Aircraft Maintenance Technology, March 16, 2009

Travel Daily News, March 17, 2009

We have recently won a string of orders to supply ground support equipment to several major airports around the world. These orders, worth some EUR 3.6 million, represent a robust start to the year for Cavotec’s airport market unit, despite tough market conditions.

These deals include three types of Cavotec pit supply systems for Manchester Airport, the UK’s largest airport outside London. The systems will serve Manchester’s A380 stand. Similarly, we are supplying more than thirty pop-up pits for the new international airport in Doha, Qatar, and vault systems to India’s New Delhi Airport.

These orders can be considered milestones; New Delhi Airport is the busiest in India and Manchester is the largest airport in the UK outside London. And in Doha, our pop-up pits will be used to service large wide-body aircraft in the world’s largest hangars.

Our pop-up pit systems are used for storing 400Hz power cables, pre-conditioned air (PCA) hoses, potable water hoses, and technical services under the tarmac apron. When aircraft are parked at the gate, or in maintenance hangars, Cavotec’s pop-up systems emerge from the tarmac to supply aircraft with air, water, fuel and power. After use, the units close flush with the tarmac, thus saving space.

The New Delhi Airport order will see the delivery of 35 vault access covers and related equipment. Similar to the pop-up pit solutions, these specially designed covers provide access to concrete vaults for operational and maintenance requirements of in-ground pit systems.

Deliveries for all three of these projects started this March and will continue throughout 2009.