NYK and NYK Group company Japan Marine Science Inc. (JMS) have partnered with Trelleborg Marine Systems (TMS) to introduce and promote a new mooring system to Japanese ports.
Mainly serving bulk carriers, the new mooring system DynaMoor enables ships to be moored at a port more safely.
Vessels are usually moored at ports by connecting the mooring line from the ship to the pier, but vessels often do not stay completely still during the mooring process because they are moved by sea swells and long-period waves.
Hull shaking can escalate when the mooring lines, and fenders – the cushioning materials installed on the sides of the pier – act as springs. Increased hull shaking can then force a vessel to evacuate from the port, thus resulting in a decrease of port operation efficiency.
Keeping constant tension on the mooring line has been considered to be effective in reducing hull shaking.
However, NYK wrote that this has not been realised much in Japan because it is difficult to adjust the tension of the mooring from the ship, and large-scale facilities are needed for adjusting tension from land.
Additionally, as the size of ships has become larger in recent years, this hull shaking issue has become one that needs to be resolved to ensure the safety and efficiency of port operations.
DynaMoor can be installed on the pier and connected with the mooring line from a ship. DynaMoor then adjusts the tension of the mooring line and keeps it constant using an electronically controlled hydraulic damper.
The introduction of DynaMoor is expected to benefit port cargo operations by making them safer and more efficient. The system is also expected to contribute to a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the supply chain including emissions from moored vessels at the port.
In the future, NYK and JMS will conduct simulations of hull shaking at Japan ports and proceed with verifications of DynaMoor installed at these ports.
The two companies will also provide advice to TMS to promote the use of DynaMoor at Japan ports servicing bulk carriers by making use of knowledge and experience of port characteristics, ship types, meteorological and oceanic conditions, and ship operations.
