By
Rebecca Gibson |
Trelleborg is to install its rope-free automated mooring system, AutoMoor, at the Old City Harbour at the Port of Tallinn in Estonia next year.
Trelleborg will install six units of its AutoMoor T40 Twin Arm at the Berth 13 cruise ferry wharf to facilitate faster berthing processes. The AutoMoor system will use vacuum technology to rapidly attach to visiting vessels and secure them to the berth, which will reduce motion at the berth to improve safety.
In addition, the system will continuously monitor all mooring loads acting on the vessel at berth, providing live data to the operator to optimise day-to-day port and terminal operations.
“Berth 13 will service large cruise ferries from Finnish shipping companies, including Viking Line and Eckero Line, on the Tallinn to Helsinki route across the Gulf of Finland, our busiest route,” said Peeter Nogu, chief infrastructure development officer at the Port of Tallinn. “As a result, it was vital that we upgraded the berth to ensure a high vessel throughput. With that in mind, it was essential that the upgrade saw the adoption of automated mooring systems to facilitate quick, safe and reliable mooring operations.”
Compact and easy to install in the small space between the wharf edge and gantry rails, Trelleborg’s AutoMoor T40 Twin Arm has two mooring arms that can operate in sync or independently. This will enable the port to handle ships with varying hull profiles.
“Along with Port of Langnas, Finland, where multiple AutoMoor units are to be installed across two berths, it’s great to see that forward-thinking port operators across the globe are acknowledging the operating benefits of the low power passive damping technology and innovative flexible mooring options that AutoMoor offers end users,” said Richard Hepworth, president of Trelleborg’s marine and infrastructure operation. “They also value the 40-plus years of docking and mooring experience that Trelleborg brings to the automated mooring space. We thoroughly look forward to seeing the Port of Tallinn benefit considerably from the efficiencies provided by AutoMoor in the future.”