We are delighted to report that Cavotec’s automated mooring technology, MoorMaster™, was a component in the Port Hedland Port Authority (PHPA) and Pinc Group’s successful entry for the 2011 Western Australia (WA) Engineering Excellence Awards.

The team’s Utah Point Multi-User Bulk Export Facility project won the Resource Development Category. This achievement highlights the engineering and environmental challenges tackled by the team at Utah Point. MoorMaster™ formed one of the many elements that went into making the entry a success against competition from larger, more established rivals.

The team’s success in the WA awards ensures the project will be in the running for the National Engineering Excellence Awards. The results of the national competition will be announced at a ceremony on November 23^rd in the Australian capital, Canberra.

The Australian Engineering Excellence Awards celebrate engineering excellence by identifying, recognising and promoting excellence in engineering. Panels of leading engineers and state officials evaluate entries in several different categories. The Awards also provide peer recognition of engineering excellence and highlight the contribution of engineers to the economy, to the community and to the environment.

The Resource Development Category includes the mining, agriculture, processing, oil and gas, solar energy, wind and waterpower sectors, or any engineering project associated with the development and, or processing of minerals or natural resources.

All entries were required to demonstrate how their projects met a series of obligatory requirements such as occupational health and safety, sound engineering practices, originality and ingenuity, economic contribution, community benefit and sustainable development.

According to the formal submission document, specially designed “MM200B (Bulk) MoorMaster™ units built to withstand Port Hedland’s extreme tidal, heat and dust conditions have not only improved safety compared to traditional rope mooring, but reduced vessel capture, moor and release by approximately 2.5 hours per vessel.”

MoorMaster™ also fulfilled one of the Awards’ optional criteria: that of simplicity of the engineering solution. The technology revolutionises the centuries-old practice of mooring vessels using ropes. Instead, remote controlled vacuum pads recessed in, or mounted on, the quayside, moor and release vessels in seconds. MoorMaster™ has performed more than 40,000 mooring operations to date at bulk handling, ferry, Ro-Ro, container and lock applications worldwide.

Utah Point is located in the narrow neck of Port Hedland Harbour where passing vessels exert significant hydrodynamic interaction forces that act to suck vessels from their moorings. Port Hedland also experiences large tides (7.5 metres) that produce in excess of 2-knot currents, design wind speeds of 23 m/s (45 knots), fine iron ore dust issues and extreme heat (+45 degrees Celsius) conditions.

The PHPA contracted Cavotec to design and test 14 entirely new MM200 units capable of handling the large tidal ranges experienced at Port Hedland. Following its manufacture and successful testing, the technology went into service in 2010, since which time it has proved itself to be an effective and simple replacement of traditional rope mooring.

Cavotec is proud to be part of the Utah Point team on what is an exciting project that demonstrates what engineering excellence and the sharing of great ideas can achieve. We look forward to working with our partners at the PHPA in the future – and we wish the team further success in November.

Cavotec will be present at TOC Middle East the shipping, ports and terminals conference and exhibition for the Middle East from 25th-27th September. Visitors can find us at Stand D34.

Held annually at Dubai’s World Trade Centre, UAE, the exhibition brings together suppliers of terminal services, handling equipment, systems and software, enabling delegates and visitors to review the latest technology and benchmark their procurement strategies.

Juergen Strommer, Managing Director & Regional Manager ME of Cavotec India (read a brief biography here) has been added to the list of speakers and Innovation Seminar Day 2 is to be moderated by Holly Birkett, editor of Port Technology International.

Cavotec will be presenting its range of innovative technologies that make ports more efficient and more sustainable. Cavotec designs, manufactures and delivers automated mooring and shore power systems, Panzerbelt cable protection systems, crane controllers, marine propulsion sliprings, power chains and connectors, radio remote controls, motorised cable reels and steel chains.

The enquiry level throughout the four-day show was encouraging, with several enquiries for core Cavotec products, and our local agency lines.

Interest was especially strong in motorised cable reels, spring-driven cable reels, connectors, radio remote controls, Brevetti cable chains, Gantrex rail clips and pads, Vahle conductor bars, Brieda seats and consoles, and Gessmann joysticks.

Many thanks to the staff we had on the stand including, Sures Sinnadurai, Jeff Humphreys, Steve Conrades, Mark Payne, and particularly the guys who travelled so far: Jan Buttle-Ulvin (Cavotec Micro-control Singapore) and Bruno Pierobon from Gantrex Belgium.

Also, a special thanks to Tony Iseppi who arranged the exhibition and Julia Weinhart for organising the banners for our stand.

The Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) will be held for the first time ever in Brazil this year. Representatives from Cavotec Norway will be exhibiting at OTC Brasil 2011 Conference and Exhibition and visitors can find us at Stand 315 in PAVILION 3 of the original exhibition hall.

OTC ranks among the largest 200 trade shows held annually in the United States. Attendance consistently exceeds 50,000, and more than 2,000 companies participate in the exhibition. OTC includes attendees from around the globe, with more than 110 countries represented at recent conferences.
Cavotec’s product range for the offshore industry includes Ex-connectors, Gessmann crane controllers, power chains, Ex-proof radio remote control units, Ex-collectors motorised and spring driven cable reels and Brevetti steel chains. Our systems are used at offshore applications all around the world.

Cavotec is exhibiting at and attending several major trade shows in September in all our industry sectors: Airports, Ports & Maritime, Mining & Tunnelling and General Industry. You will find more information about the major events during the first half of the month below. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a meeting with us at any of these shows.

First off, Cavotec Russia will be present at the Kazanskaya Yarmarka Exhibition Center for the Oil, Gas & Petrochemistry 18th International Exhibition from 7th – 9th September. The aim of the exhibition includes the promotion of new technologies and equipment on the enterprises of the oil and chemical branch of the Volga region; expansion and strengthening of inter-regional and international business cooperation.

The 2011 AAPA Convention is held on 14th & 15th September and includes technical and policy committee meetings, business sessions and social networking opportunities for port professionals and others in the marine transportation industry. Cavotec USA will be among nearly 1,000 attendees from throughout the Americas will be in attendance.

Cavotec Deutschland GmbH will be at IUT ’11 – the International Underground Construction and Tunneling Fair that also takes place on 14th & 15th September at the unique Fair Hall of the Hagerbach Test Gallery in Sargans, Switzerland.

Smart Rivers 2011 Conference runs from 13th – 16th September at Westin Canal Place in New Orleans. The aim of Smart Rivers 2011 is to “Discover the Keys to Inland Navigation’s Sustainable Future Around the World”. Cavotec International and Cavotec USA will be present at this year’s event.

Cavotec’s Alternative Maritime Power (AMP) system, which uses shore-supplied electricity to reduce diesel-engine emissions from ships while they are in port, is one example of how innovative technology enables ports to operate more sustainably.

The prospect of higher fuel costs and environmental concerns are also inspiring the development of alternative forms of propulsion for marine transportation. In a recent article by Maritime Executive, compressed air, previously used to power mining locomotives, is put forward as an option for powering short-distance marine services.

Similar to the application of Alternative Maritime Power, vessels such as ferries can connect to compressed air energy storage (CAES) systems via high-pressure lines when at port. Small amounts of compressed air can be stored in on-board high-pressure tanks to provide short bursts of propulsion, while the main supply would come from natural gas stores in underground caverns. While in transit, compressed air would be transferred to low-pressure tanks to consistent supply during each voyage.

According to the article, “much of the technology needed to develop a marine compressed air propulsion system already exists and is well proven in related applications. The technology may be suitable for ships and tugs that operate short-distance voyages, such as ferry services or short-distance services at select ports. There is scope to further refine and develop compressed air propulsion for a variety of marine vessels.”

At Cavotec, we always enjoy hearing about innovative technologies that enable the ports, airports, Mining and tunnelling and general industries to operate more sustainably and work more productively. We shall be following the development of this particular approach with interest.