Floating cranes - September 2014

Craneship’ shipyards officially delivers self-propelled crane ‘Atlas Double’

A new self-propelled crane Atlas Double has successfully passed the sea trials on 25 July 2014.

Technical information:

Length: 78.4m Beam: 23m Depth: 5.1m Displacement: 5,180t Speed: 7kn

Atlas Double is the next-generation crane vessel specially designed for the extreme conditions of open seas transshipment of bulk cargoes. This innovation project was carried out by the Transship Group, a leader of roadstead transshipment in the Black Sea region, in its own Craneship shipyard. It was designed by the ‘Transship-design’ engineering department. When the vessel was constructed, a number of revolutionary solutions were applied using the company’s extensive experience in roadstead transshipment.

THE EIGHT KEY FEATURES OF THE PROJECT

1 The reduction of wave resistance. This was achieved by significant dimensions and displacement reducing the effect of wave loads to acceptable values.

2 The decrease of wind resistance byapplying small cross-sectional area of the topsides of floating crane, compact fore and aft superstructure, relatively low freeboard. This also minimizes the pitching and rolling of the ship.

3 Stabilization by using anti-rolling ballast system. 

6 Positioning of cranes. The installation of cranes on swing arms with length of 10 metres allowed good positioning according to cargo plan of vessel under cargo operations. It is enough just to turn the swing arm to handle the next hold. This reduces the number of shiftings, thereby saving time.

7 Automatic mooring winches. The installed Rolls-Royce mooring winches allows the operator to move the crane vessel simultaneously along the sides of both bulk carriers involved in the cargo operations,  and even to shift along with discharged vessel. 

8 High righting moment. The absence of crane counterweights, as well as increased thickness of the steel plates of crane vessel’s bottom, made it possible to set metacentric height, ensuring optimal stability and righting moment.

TTS signs contract for offshore cranes worth approximately 60 MNOK

TTS Group ASA has, through its subsidiary TTS Offshore Handling Equipment AS (OHE) in Norway, signed a contract for delivery of two offshore cranes worth approximately 60 MNOK. The contract is with a shipyard in China, and concerns the delivery of two cranes for an offshore vessel. The vessel has been ordered by a Thailand registered ship owner. The delivery will take place in first quarter of 2016. The contract is the second contract with the yard with identical scope. 

E-Crane: barge-mounted and mid-stream solutions for the bulk industry

ABOUT E-CRANE

Specifically designed for barge-unloading processes, the E-Crane is able to handle anything from coal to limestone to fertilizer to grain to scrap steel. The E-Crane is a truly versatile machine in that it can easily switch between commodities and still offer the high production required at many ports and industrial facilities. Built for 24/7 duty cycle operation, E-Cranes have unprecedented life cycles, high efficiency, and low maintenance costs.

The standard E-Crane product line consists of five series of balanced hydraulic cranes (Equilibrium Cranes): 700 Series, 1000 Series, 1500 Series, 2000 Series, and 3000 Series. E-Cranes provide longer outreach and higher duty cycle capacities than typical material handlers.

Outreach ranges from 24.8 to 47.8 metres (82 to 157 feet) and duty cycle capacity ranges from 5.5 to 39 metric tonnes (6 to 42.9 US tons).

E-Cranes are regularly supplied in barge-mounted configurations, and are used to handle a wide range of bulk commodities.

BENEFITS OF E-CRANE MIDSTREAM TRANSFER OPERATIONS

In 2013 and 2014, E-Crane provided several solutions for grain handling with barge-mounted E-Cranes. The E-Crane’s balanced design makes it ideal for barge mounting. The E-Crane design is based on a parallelogram style boom which provides a direct mechanical connection between the counterweight and the load. Because of this, the E-Crane remains in a near perfectly balanced state throughout its entire working range. The E-Crane allows gravity to work for you, instead of against you, reducing horsepower requirements and power consumption by up to 50% and reducing maintenance and operating costs significantly. However, along with the significant energy savings that a balanced design provides, it also makes the E-Crane ideal for mounting on a floating barge. Because the E-Crane is balanced, the movement of the E-Crane causes very minimal listing and movement of the barge. A barge-mounted E-Crane is also beneficial because it floats up and down along with the material barges when the water elevation changes. This means that the cycle of picking material out of the barge is never affected by water fluctuation.

BARGE-MOUNTED E-CRANES TO HANDLE GRAIN IN ARGENTINA

Once again, a company in Argentina realized the great benefits of the E-Crane for grain handling as well as barge mounting. In early 2014, an order was placed for two E-Cranes to be mounted together on a single barge. The first crane is a 700 Series/Model 4264 PD-E with 26.4m (86.5ft) outreach and a duty cycle capacity of 5.5 metric tonnes (6.0 US tons). The second E-Crane, a 700 Series/Model 4290 PD-E has the same duty cycle capacity, but a longer outreach of 29.0m (95ft). Both E-Cranes work together to unload grain from a Paraná-sized barge into two separate hoppers also located on the barge. The hopper outputs the material onto a conveyor/shiploader system which transfers the material into a Handymax sized vessel on the other side of the crane barge.

LDPL’s last built FCTU MIRAMAR, a 32t (Floating Crane Transshipment Unit) delivered in 2011, and built under internal design has successfully completed its first year of operation loading iron ore from barges into Panamax in Sierra Leone. FCTU MIRAMAR is the last generation of floating crane developed and built by the company, designed to operate in full autonomy, with 100% power redundancy. She is an unrivalled tool to operate in remote areas and ensure reliable supply even in difficult environment in a cost efficient manner.

The vessel is operated smoothly by a multi-cultural team including local crewmembers trained on site, all living around the clock onboard and working in shifts. “The key to that long run success is to define regular and well planned maintenance, animate a team spirit onboard, and indeed at first carefully select: design, equipment and component.” says Lucian Viorel

Pop, leading LDPL technical dept. The absence of complicated conveyor systems combined with

the full ban of hydraulic systems on board dramatically simplify maintenance procedures and reduce breakdown risk, whatever the constraints of specific minerals are. FCTU MIRAMAR has been exceeding expectations by far in terms of performance, demonstrating capabilities to reach up to 1,565tph (tonnes per hour) (37,560 tonnes per day) top rate recorded during a full loading sequence barge/hatch on a Panamax in May.

Such performance has called into question the legitimacy of using sophisticated transshipment vessels equipped with complex conveyors systems, which can barely reach similar rates handling various quality materials, while having proved very limited reliability in remote and difficult environments.

Built with a meticulous selection of highly reliable technology and equipment FCTU MIRAMAR has demonstrated this year that the concept of a 100% self-sufficient and easy to operate transshipment vessel is achievable. The FCTU is self-propelled by the means of two azimuthal propulsion systems (no need of assist tug for berthing or coming alongside vessels) and is fitted with its ‘on-board’ maintenance workshop and equipment so as to realize most of the regular works autonomously. Simplicity and efficiency have proven to be two major ingredients to excel in the art of transshipment and ensure continuous performance.

COMPANY PROFILE

LD Ports & Logistics is part of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs group, a French family business founded in 1851 which has continuously been a leader in the field of maritime bulk transportation and logistics.

LDPL is the specialized subsidiary focusing on Mining sector and Energy industry, proposing a wide range of integrated services in floating terminal and transportations, forging long term partnerships with leading industrial groups around the world.

In the search for dry bulk transshipment solutions, it is best to be pragmatic and systematic in evaluating options. It is common for equipment descriptions to use subjective terms and phrases, such as ‘innovative features’, ‘high performance’, ‘environmentally friendly’, and ‘latest generation’. This marketing language combined with industry jargon sounds impressive, but distorts what should be an objective selection process.

Transshipment solutions should be analysed and judged based on:

1. Buyer’s requirements, 

2. Operating conditions, and 

3. Properties of the material. In general, buyer requirements are related to mother vessel size, hatch cover type, and laycan period for loading or discharge of cargo. In some cases, specific requirements such as metal detector/separator and take-up sampling are stipulated. To prevent demurrage/detention damages and cargo contamination/rejection, equipment loading or discharge speeds and features must be matched to meet these requirements.

Operating conditions are both shipper controlled, i.e. transshipment fleet size and distance to anchorage point and external/uncontrolled, i.e. wind speed and wave height. It is important keep in mind that many external operation conditions vary not only by location, but also by season. While shipper controlled conditions can be adjusted, external conditions must be catered to through the selection of specific equipment, e.g. heavy-duty and cargo handling design, e.g. for open sea operation.

Different types of dry bulk, e.g. bauxite, coal, and iron ore because of varying densities and other characteristics require different type’s of transshipment equipment or at a minimum key modifications, e.g. type of grab utilized. Failure to address this properly significantly decreases productivity and negativity impacts the project’s economics.

‘PRINCESS RACHEL’ MAIN FEATURES

Class:      RINA/BKI

Grabs: Designed daily loading capacity:

‘PRINCESS RACHEL’

Floating crane Princess Rachel commenced coal transshipment operations on April 2010 at Adang Bay anchorage in Makassar Strait, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Since beginning operation, Princess Rachel has loaded 217 vessels of Panamax and Capesize or total volume of over 11mt (million tonnes) with an average loading rate of 28,000 tonnes per day. Princess Rachel’s hull structure is made by duly reinforced longitudinal frame with spoon bow, inclined sterns and two skegs aft. Bilge keels are fitted on each side to the extent of about three quarters of the length of the pontoon; structural anti- rolling fins are also fitted in way of the stern skegs. It is equipped with movement damping devices and suitable dynamic factors to bear stress and fatigue resulting from continued heavy duty work in open seas have been developed and incorporated in Princess Rachel’s design, making it less sensitive to adverse weather conditions as compared with standard floating cranes.

‘VITTORIA’ MAIN FEATURES

Class: Flag: Length: Breath: Depth: Operative draft: Light ship weight: Crane:

Grabs: Designed daily loading capacity:

‘VITTORIA’

Vittoria started coal transshipment operations on November 2012 at Adang Bay anchorage in Makassar Strait, East Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Floating crane Vittoria has loaded 103 vessels between Panamax and Capesize, handling approximately 9mt. Her loading rate averages 47,000 tonnes per day, with a best performance rate of about 56,000 tonnes per day. It has an annual capacity of exceeding 9.5mt. Vittoria is equipped with two Liebherr cranes of heavy duty offshore rope type, each with a capacity of 30 tonnes. They have beams fitted with Peiner Smag grabs of 20.5m3 capacity. The cranes are strategically placed in such a way with respect to the hoppers so as to minimize the slewing movement, thereby increasing the cycle time and efficiency. These heavy duty cranes are specifically designed for offshore operations, which mean they are more robust in construction and are able to perform even in adverse weather conditions. They are guaranteed to operate up to two metres of wave height and 25 knots wind speed.

The cargo handling system consists of two duly designed hoppers and an array of conveyor systems leading to a telescopic/shuttle shiploader. The hoppers are of 50m3 volume with a top opening sufficient to accommodate the footprint of the large grabs in use. The trunk- pyramidal shaped hoppers have asymmetrical walls to ensure the smooth flow of coal through the hoppers into the transfer chute. The hoppers are fitted with vibrators to ensure free flow of sticky coal, in order to maintain the required flow rate. The inclinations of all the conveyors have been designed in accordance to the grade of coal to be handle to achieve smooth flow of cargo and avoid back flow.

The shiploader is of shuttle/telescopic boom type with a 19-metre air draught; the shiploader is capable of swiveling by means of geared slewing rings and luffing by means of hydraulic mechanism. The shuttle length movement in excess of 11 metres gives the flexibility to deliver the cargo uniformly in to the holds of the ocean going vessels.This is crucial while loading barges with large stowages factors like coal, when it becomes important to fill in all the areas of the holds, thus avoid dead freight charges.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

PT Mitrabahtera Segara Sejati Tbk (MBSS) is a major Indonesian provider of integrated one-stop sea logistics and transportation solutions for bulk materials, particularly coal. Drawing on 20 years of experience in the business, MBSS has earned a reputation for high quality, reliable service. In 2011, MBSS successfully listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. In the same year, MBSS also became a member of the Indika Energy Group.

In addition to its large tug and barge fleet, MBSS has a fleet of seven transshipment vessels: five floating cranes consisting of single and double cranes, as well as two floating loading facilities with a conveyor belt system and a metal detector using a double crane. This fleet carries out transshipment of bulk materials from barges and transfers them to the anchored mother vessel for transshipment. The entire MBSS floating cranes fleet fulfills Indonesian Classification Bureau requirements, and the majority also meets the requirements of global classification societies namely Registro Italiano Navale (RINA), Bureau Veritas (BV), Nipon Kaiji Kyokai (NK),ABS (American Berau of Shipping) dan Germanischer Lloyd (GL).