Mainly serving bulk
carriers, the new mooring system DynaMoor enables ships to be moored at a port
more safely.
Vessels are usually
moored at ports by connecting the mooring line from the ship to the pier, but
vessels often do not stay completely still during the mooring process because
they are moved by sea swells and long-period waves.
Hull shaking can escalate
when the mooring lines, and fenders – the cushioning materials installed on the
sides of the pier – act as springs. Increased hull shaking can then force a
vessel to evacuate from the port, thus resulting in a decrease of port
operation efficiency.
Keeping constant tension
on the mooring line has been considered to be effective in reducing hull
shaking.
However, NYK wrote that
this has not been realised much in Japan because it is difficult to adjust the
tension of the mooring from the ship, and large-scale facilities are needed for
adjusting tension from land.
Additionally, as the size
of ships has become larger in recent years, this hull shaking issue has become
one that needs to be resolved to ensure the safety and efficiency of port
operations.
DynaMoor can be installed
on the pier and connected with the mooring line from a ship. DynaMoor then
adjusts the tension of the mooring line and keeps it constant using an
electronically controlled hydraulic damper.
The introduction of
DynaMoor is expected to benefit port cargo operations by making them safer and
more efficient. The system is also expected to contribute to a reduction in
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the supply chain including emissions
from moored vessels at the port.
In the future, NYK and
JMS will conduct simulations of hull shaking at Japan ports and proceed with
verifications of DynaMoor installed at these ports.
The two companies will
also provide advice to TMS to promote the use of DynaMoor at Japan ports
servicing bulk carriers by making use of knowledge and experience of port
characteristics, ship types, meteorological and oceanic conditions, and ship
operations.