'MoorMaster' to be used at two Norled-operated ferry berths.
By
Sean Dudley |
Cavotec has won an order to engineer and manufacture MoorMaster automated mooring and alternative maritime power (AMP) electrical supply systems for two ferry berths operated by Norled in western Norway.
The port systems innovator will service the world’s first fully battery-powered ferries, and install the automated AMP and MoorMaster systems at the ports of Lavik and Oppedal.
“These are the first systems anywhere in the world that integrate automated mooring and automated shore-to-ship AMP. This project demonstrates Cavotec’s capacity for innovation, and our ability to offer integrated systems that maximise efficiency gains and environmental performance,” said Sofus Gedde-Dahl, managing director of Cavotec Norge.
MoorMaster will be used by the world’s first fully battery-powered, catamaran-hulled ferry. The vessel will be 80 metres long and have capacity for around 120 cars and 360 passengers. Scheduled to enter service in 2015, the AMP will support the 17 daily trips made by the new ferry across the Sognefjord between Lavik and Oppendal.
MoorMaster will be operated by the ship’s captain using Cavotec hand-held radio remote controls. When the ship is secure the mooring system will signal to the AMP unit, and a laser sensor will then guide the AMP connector to a hatch in the side of the vessel, connecting to the ship’s battery and starting the charging process. The ferry’s propeller system can then be switched off for nine minutes during each 10-minute boarding process, giving more than sufficient time to connect to the Cavotec AMP system and charge the on-board batteries.
“The extent of technical innovation and system integration of this project shows how port operations can be made dramatically more sustainable and efficient,” said Sigvald Breivik, Norled’s technical director.
With 6,000 port calls made annually on the Lavik-Oppendal route, Cavotec AMP will help improve air quality and fuel cost savings, as well as helping comply with the increasingly stringent emission laws.