Mobile shiploading system commissioned

Telestack has recently installed and commissioned a fully customized mobile shiploading system for Van Oord, to load over 100,000 tonnes of aggregate to Handymax vessels. Van Oord is a major international dredging and marine contractor, which is known for its marine ingenuity. The project consisted of effectively loading material to vessels for a gravity-based structure for the offshore platform. The material was stocked on site in the Ishikari Bay, Japan, loaded to the vessel via the Telestack mobile shiploading system and transferred north to the off-shore platform for unloading. The material was unloaded with the unique Nordnes flexible fall pipe vessel from Van Oord to act as scour protection as the GBS was accurately positioned and lowered to the sea-bed for its final positioning. The material was also unloaded to the sea-bed to protect the oil/gas lines.

This project will form the largest offshore production platform in Russia to date.

The fully mobile systems consist of two radial telescopic shiploaders and two mobile hopper feeders which are used to load 0–380mm (0–12’+) sized material to Handymax vessels at speeds of up to 1,500tph (tonnes per hour). The unique and customized design of the units, comprised of heavy duty designs and engineering to meet the rigorous requirements of loading the large material onto the vessel, while ensuring the longevity of the equipment. This was done through extensive design and engineering by Telestack to meet the needs of the application, directly from initial enquiry through to full installation/ commissioning and operation of the mobile system.

The 254,000dwt Nordnes vessel was loaded/trimmed using the radial and telescopic features of the Telestack shiploader. The flexibility of these features to trim the holds of the vessel makes it possible for all areas to be loaded without stopping the feeding equipment (mobile hopper). All functions of the shiploader and hopper are controlled via an all-function radio remote control; the operator can stand on the vessel and easily trim the holds, while viewing the loading procedure. These features ensure the feeding of the shiploader can be maintained, reducing production downtime and increasing loading rates. Before Telestack was issued the contract,Van Oord had considered fixed length shiploaders (not telescopic) but decided against this design, because of the inflexibility and loss of production capacity with this design, by having to stop the feeding equipment and move the entire system to load and trim the vessel effectively.

The shiploaders include heavy duty skirting on both the outer and inner conveyor to ensure the larger material is secured on the belt during loading for safety and to ensure material remaining on the belt until discharge into the holds. 

Another key reason for the purchase of the Telestack shiploading system by Van Oord, is the transport of the equipment. Also of great importance is the added flexibility of moving the units around the site and the shipping of the units worldwide, which are both key for Van Oord. The ability of the Telestack equipment to be used on site to finish a project, then either packed into 40ft containers or lifted directly into a vessel, allows Van Oord to easily move these units anywhere in the world, to meet the needs of their diverse range of applications,e.g: from shiploading to stockpiling to reclaiming. This means that Van Oord does not need to own or rent any fixed equipment at specific ports, as it owns and operates it own Telestack mobile shiploading system.

These points are expressed further by Gerry Mensink, Ship Management Department, plant Design and Construction,Van Oord as he states, “The reason we selected Telestack for this project was their track record in working with large blue chip companies and experience of a range of applications within ports, mines etc... The designing and engineering of the equipment was very important for us to handle this size of material, as well as reliability to load the vessel on time, to eliminate the possibility of expensive demurrage charges. Also, we continue to appreciate the on-going commitment of Telestack in our future projects.”