Cavotec Launches Automated Vacuum Mooring Solution
A next generation automated vacuum mooring solution from Cavotec is designed to reduce fuel consumption and increase port productivity by simplifying and accelerating the mooring process.
Cavotec, a Swiss-headquartered manufacturer of connection and electrification solutions for the maritime industry, on Tuesday launched its MoorMaster NxG with the goal to “revolutionize the way ships enter and leave ports,” enabling ships to dock in as little as 30 seconds.
Mikael Norin, Cavotec CEO, said, “As the inventors of vacuum mooring, we’ve used every minute of data from 20 years’ service to redesign MoorMaster from the ground up, to deliver faster, smarter installation, improved performance, continuous monitoring and easier maintenance. All in a unit with a smaller more streamlined footprint and an aesthetically pleasing design.
“These are qualities that ASKO Maritime have seen as crucial when they are planning the introduction of the world’s first autonomous, zero emissions vessels. We are very proud of having been selected as a key partner to ASKO,” Norin said.
ASKO Maritime, the shipping arm of Norway’s largest grocery chain, will benefit from MoorMaster NxG in its Oslo Fjord operations where its fully electric ships will sail autonomously from port to port thereby replacing two million kilometers of truck transport, saving 5,000 tonnes of CO2 every year.
Kai Just Olsen, ASKO Maritime CEO, said, “The MoorMaster system will save us huge amounts of energy and is a key enabler of autonomous operations. Since we won’t need to use the powerful bow and side thrusters in port, our electric vessels will use less energy and also extend the battery lifetime.”
Even with conventional vessels, MoorMaster can reduce the level of harmful emissions by as much as 98% during mooring, Cavotec said. MoorMaster NxG comes with patented Active Control technology and uses a proprietary software algorithm to eliminate vessel motion while also increasing system lifetime.
For ports, the system leads to increased loading/offloading productivity and enables future use cases such as fully automated ship-to-shore cranes. And with continuous recording of operational data, the advent of artificial intelligence is set to further improve MoorMaster NxG with every software update and every minute of operations at all sites worldwide, Cavotec said.
“In the next 10 years, with the introduction of smart shipping technology, we could finally see the end of the slow and dangerous use of ropes and chains at dockside. A modern shipping industry needs a mooring solution that meets and exceeds its high expectations of productivity and reduced environmental footprint at docks around the world,” Norin said.