The mooring systems at the PSA Voltri-Prà terminal are becoming safer. Since January 2016 a “Shore Tension Mooring System” (STMS) from KRVE (Rotterdam Boatmen Association) has been implemented in order to monitor the ships that pass through our port for their entire period of mooring.
The new STMS system is a first for Italian ports, it is an evolution that modernises, integrates and completes the traditional mooring process. The system is supplied by our partner, Gruppo Antichi Ormeggiatori, and constitutes an important advancement in technology, especially for the latest generation of Ultra Large Container Vessels.
The STMS works like a shock absorber. Each device is connected by a Dyneema® cable on one end to bollards on the quay and the other end to a bollard on the ship by a special quickdraw. The device is made up of a telescopic hydraulic cylinder that expands and contracts depending on the tension received. In this way the ship is moored in an extremely safe and stable manner, avoiding any possible breakage of the mooring lines caused by peaks loads in tension from strong wind or currents.
Each device is equipped with a wireless control unit. This unit measures its cable tension and remotely transmits the stress that the ship and its mooring lines are subjected to with respect to the wind and undertow. This allows the technical nautical team coordinated by the port authorities to quickly adapt to any situations and avert any possible critical situations.
From an energy point of view the STMS does not require an external power supply. The movement of the cylinder is hydraulic and the wireless control unit is supplied by an autonomous solar panel.
The Moorer Association of Genoa, that sustained the investment, can today count on two berths equipped with this innovative technology, both installed at our Terminal. Once they had completed the training period, the moorers began working with the STMS for a trial period that began in January. This period was closely monitored and shared with the Port Authorities from an operational and regulatory basis.
You might also like
