TUESDAY JULY 8, 2008

Lloyds List

Special Report Developing Ports 11

Platforms that will float your boat

Know-how of oil and gas sector is being harnessed to boost terminal productivity at ports with limited draught or access
FOR ports with limited draught or access, difficulties obtaining landside development permits or those simply in need of a quick fix to capacity constraints, the oil and gas sector is providing technical inspiration aplenty. A range of offshore and mid-stream floating platforms are now being deployed to boost terminal handling productivity and capacity, with many of the designs drawing heavily for inspiration on offshore energy platform designs. According to Mario Terenzio, chief executive of Logmarin Advisors, the commercial logic that saw the development of ship-toship oil transfer systems can also now be applied to the dry cargo, LNG and container sectors. Nowadays, floating terminal technology has matured, and there is a wealth of knowledge arising from the many examples of floating terminals in operation for dry bulk, o i l a n d g a s a l l o v e r t h e w o r l d , he said. Thus far at least, the application of this new generation of floating transhipment options has been most notable in the dry bulk cargo handling sector but, more recently, some suppliers have been eyeing container operations too. In terms of the design of offshore transhipment units, Canada Steamship Lines has been to the fore for almost a decade applying the logistics nous garnered from its management of self-unloader vessels to the port-ship interface. CSL currently operates a number of offshore transloaders in the US and Indonesia offering capesize handling, lightering and coal-blending options to ports with insufficient infrastructure. Most recently, the company developed a system for its largest Australian customer, OneSteel, under a 10-year contract which covers the export of 30m tonnes of iron ore from Whyalla to North Asia. Operations commenced in March 2007 with CSL deploying two 12,000 dwt self-unloading barges and one floating offshore kept them competitive in iron ore markets. Companies such as G ottwald and Liebherr, both primarily known for their land-based mobile harbour cranes, have also been targeting the floating crane market to see how their technologies might be applied to speed up port development, overcome congestion or aid handling where land-based infrastructure is sparse. Gottwald has now sold 13 units of its floating terminal system, and more orders are expected this year. They have all been for bulk handling, but they could be used for containers, said a spokesman for the German-based company. It makes sense to use them for containers in support of landside cranes in some ports. He said the return on investment for a floating crane would depend on a myriad of factors, but the lower initial investment compared favourably to landside investment costs. Floating transhipment also provides quick returns, cuts investment lead times and can circumvent lengthy environmental permitting processes, he added. Mr Terenzio is now working with Austrias Liebherr on new designs suitable for the container and bulk markets which, crucially, also incorporate buffer storage to cut delays related to barge utilisation. This floating crane can be considered as a relocateable floating terminal specifically designed to dock, unload and reload and service dry bulk carrier or containerships, he said. The buffer storage requires the construction of a larger pontoon which, together with anti-rolling devices, guarantees greater platform stability so our crane is less sensitive to adverse weather conditions. Mr Terenzio predicted Logmarin and its various partners would secure a number of orders during the course of 2008 as more terminal managers concluded that floating options could offer the quick capacity enhancements they required. The project implementation of a floating facility is much lower compared to dedicated shore infrastructure, he said. Civil works are not required, it can be positioned almost anywhere and the investment cost is lower.

A Gottwald floating crane in operation at Charleston, US: the company has now sold 13 units of its floating terminal system. transhipment barge offering discharge rates of 5,000 tonners per hour. Not only did this solution forgo expensive dredging and shoreside upgrades at the customers draught-restricted port, but it also enabled them to load capesize vessels, said Jim Murphy, CSL vice president of projects and planning. This would not have been feasible without dredging, so it has

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Five big players in floating terminal technology

Gottwald
GERMAN-BASED mobile harbour crane specialist Gottwald started supplying its new generation of floating cranes in 2004 and has since sold 13 units worldwide. Six units were commissioned for mid-stream stevedores on the Mississippi River, while non-US orders have been received from Brazil, the Netherlands and Indonesia.

Liebherr
AUSTRIAN crane supplier Liebherr has long supplied cranes used for operation on floating piers for use on rivers such as the Amazon, which must cope with large seasonal variances in water levels. More recently, the company has started mounting its crane technology on to barges and transloader platforms. Two transhippers (the Atlas 1 and Atlas 4) were recently commissioned for Transshipper for deployment in the Kerch Straits, Ukraine. Liebherr is now finalising designs with Logmarin Advisors for a new container/bulk handling transhipment system that can offer storage options.

A Liebherr floating terminal loading coal on to a vessel in Indonesia. Transfer Station concept has been deployed by CoeClerici for coal exporting clients in Venezuela and Indonesia. A more flexible model suitable for unloading and loading, and able easily to switch cargoes, was recently deployed off India. CoeClerici managers told Lloyds List that talks were ongoing with various clients interested in deploying its units for container handling.

Canada Steamship Line

THE company made its mark in transhipment operations when it launched the Sea Spider Transshipper a decade ago for BT Berau Coal in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The SST tranships more than 4m tonnes of coal a year into capesize vessels. CSL has since provided a range of transhipment systems for bulk cargo loading operations in Australia, Indonesia and the US.

CoeClerici Logistics
THE Italian shipping and trading giant has also become something of a specialist in offshore bulk logistics, pioneering the development of floating transfer stations equipped with storage to reduce oceangoing vessel delays and improve barge utilisation. The Floating

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Swire CTM Bulk Logistics

CHINA Navigation Co, part of the Swire Group, recently announced it would start offering mobile offshore transhipment solutions to customers through its joint venture with C Transport Maritime (CTM) Swire CTM Bulk Logistics. The new company will focus on simple, grab-based handling systems developed with consultants Logmarin Advisors. Indonesia is one of the target markets for Swire CTM, but managers also cited the Middle East as another area of interest.

Canada Steamships SST Berau loads the 74,366 dwt bulk carrier Crescendo.

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