The lashing of containers onboard a ship is a hard and sometimes dangerous operation. The working conditions may vary dramatically depending on the types of container vessels in use and the weather. There are great safety problems during loading and discharge of containers especially when a neighbour bay is open. The stevedores who carry out this work sometimes have to work on container stacks which are several meters high above the ship’s deck, under the suspended load, and in cages operated by quay cranes. Safety arrangements in some ports are poor and the work frequently has to be performed in the dark, under windy, rainy, and icy conditions. The problems are to a large extent due to the lashing equipment. Container ports often use sub-contractors for performing the lashing and unlashing activities. In most cases the focus is put on decreasing the vessel port stay time without taking into account proper planning and safety restrictions. arl-shipping.com has taken upon itself the development of an algorithm and software application which could help container terminal operators to reach two goals simultaneously: ensure that lashing and unlashing operations are being done in a safe manner at all times, and all operations are optimised in terms of man power and time. There is another sort of natural outcome there – financial benefits. If there are less lashing gangs servicing a vessel then terminal operators can save on lashing and unlashing expenses.

LASHING SPECIFICS

There are three types of stevedoring operations and three roles performing these operations are taken into account in the lashing/unlashing model used by arl-shipping.com:

– lashers mount and dismount lashing rods and chains onboard a vessel;

– conemen remove twist locks from the unloaded containers and insert twist locks into the being loaded ones;

– dowelmen remove locks on dowels from the onboard container stack.

The responsibilities and exact role naming and distinctions vary from terminal to terminal. Here is the example list of dowelmen responsibilities as defined by DP World in vacancy VAC2253:

– to open or remove locks on dowels from the onboard container stack in accordance to the instructions of the vessel supervisor;

– to ensure the proper placing of container on deck in vessel operations, as well as twist locks placing in a safe and efficient manner;

– to indicate the right signal to crane operator during discharging and loading containers;

– to remove and secure twist locks/cones/bridge fitting on the container for safely handling of containers;

– assist the duties of lasher on board thereby adding support to the container terminal operations.

If the container stack is too high then dowelmen perform the operations from the cage suspended from a quay crane. The terms used for stevedoring roles may vary from port to port but we will continue to use lasher, conemen, and dowelmen terms in this paper.

METHOD OF OPTIMAL PLANNING

How does the new approach help container terminals and what it the background it is built upon? In order to make a good plan one should know quite a lot about actual performance figures of lashing operations such as typical productivities of single, double, and chain lashing, average moving time between vessels. The same should be known for the operations performed by dowelmen: productivity for manual and semi-automatic twist locks, bridge fittings, etc. Vessel parameters are also important: what lashing gear is in use, number of tiers to lash, availability of cell guides, type of twist locks, etc. Taking into account ETA and ETD of calling vessels, QC work sequence, all available lashing gangs, their typical performances and vessel specs one can use a standard mathematical algorithm and distribute available gangs between vessels in time so the total servicing time would be minimal. The required computational power is not that big and modern computers can perform such a distribution within one second. The algorithm can make sure that there are no activities involving humans happening next to the open bay.

It makes sense to plan separately per lashing role and produce plans in various formats. Below one can see the simulated global view of lashing plan for the whole terminal:

The lashing plan for a specific vessel:

The plan for conemens:

The plan for dowelmens also includes indications of when a cage is required:

The same reports in tabular format can be generated and given out to all assigned gangs. The plan indicates the place of work (vessel and bay), type of work, how many containers to be processed and target time frames for the work. Modern container terminals can also require lashing gangs to report back when a piece of work is done, like for instance when lashing of the bay is finished.

Where should we get the source data to make a reliable plan? The input data required for the algorithm are normally managed by terminal operating system (TOS). All vessels’ ETA and ETD, quay crane work sequences are normally managed by the correspondent TOS modules. If the same data can be exported in the tabular format for instance then external application like lashing planner can manage the rest of specific input parameters like lashing gang performance. Knowing that re-doing of lashing plan takes only a second we can constantly update it and produce the best assignment plan by the time when we need to issue it. The tool additionally follows the execution of quay crane operations and safeguards that lashing assignments are adjusted according to real-life operations, and eventually substantiate the achieved savings.

CONCLUSIONS

The lashing planner application has been tested in a major Middle Eastern terminal who validated that the lashing planner application successfully resolves planning challenges with terminal planners, responsible for stevedore planning including assigning lashers, dowelmen, and conemen. According to the preliminary estimations done on the historical data from the pilot terminal the project team has concluded that the same amount of work could have been done with half the number of gangs used, (so reducing the cost by half), and in a safe manner. The result points at a big potential to improve the inefficient lashing resource usage which is probably the case for the majority of modern container terminals.

The London Gateway project might be one of the most prestigious projects DP World has embarked on in recent years, and with the global economic downturn behind us – that has forced the project being shelved back in 2009, the company was determined to make something of the announcement that the terminal would officially open in the fourth quarter of 2013. Earlier this month, DP World showed how financially important this project is for the company by organising a special event attended by more than 500 stakeholders. The event was hosted by DP World Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Vice Chairman Jamal Majid Bin Thaniah, DP World CEO Mohammed Sharaf and London Gateway CEO Simon Moore and attendees included Business Secretary Dr Vince Cable and Shipping Minister Mike Penning.

Local importance

So, how important is the new terminal not only for London but for the whole of the country? London Gateway is the UK’s single largest job creation project, and experts predict 36,000 new jobs will be created from the completed development, providing an extra £3.2 billion into the country’s economy annually.  Around 1,000 jobs will be created in the coming months, with 700 construction roles and 300 new port jobs. An estimated 65 million road freight miles will be saved every year as many goods will no longer need to be transported from deep sea ports to inland distribution centres.  Instead, goods will be sent straight into the new logistics park and then directly to shops and homes – substantially cutting CO2 emissions.

This might have sparked some interest from the Royal family as well, as His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, also made a visit to the DP World London Gateway during a momentous week for the new terminal. The Duke was welcomed by Sir John Parker Joint Vice Chairman of DP World and the London Gateway team, who gave him a tour of the construction site and hosted a reception which included, amongst others, customers, local MPs and local councillors. Sir John said of the visit: “We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness Prince Philip to London Gateway. It was a great occasion for all of the DP World team. His Royal Highness was very interested in all aspects of the engineering project taking place at the new London Gateway container port and logistics park. He met with our young British engineers of the future who are working on the site and viewed the construction work taking place at the new port. The foundations of the new quay wall are some ten-storeys deep. It’s a very challenging and exciting project for all involved.” Commenting on the Royal visit, London Gateway Commercial Director Charles Meaby said:

“Prince Philip was very interested in the engineering aspects of the project and it was a great honour to be able to show him the site. He took a keen interest in the engineering work and took time to meet with contractors employed on the project.”

Project overview

Initially, the first phase of the USD2.3 billion terminal will have a capacity of 1.6 million TEU and will be expanded subject to market demand, although it remains unclear when the final phase will be completed offering an annual container capacity of 3.5 million TEU. During the ceremony DP World also announced it awarded four major port equipment contracts. Shanghai-based ZPMC was awarded the contract for eight container cranes, which will be the largest in the world, able to handle the next generation container vessels of 18,000 TEU capacity. The company will also provide the rail mounted gantry cranes (RMGs) for the terminal’s rail terminal. Automated stacking cranes in the container yard and shuttle carriers will be provided by Cargotec, Finland. The contract awarded to Cargotec might have come as a surprise to many insiders and to those who attended a presentation of Simon Moore, CEO of DP World London Gateway, a couple of years ago, indicating that the terminal will be equipped with automated guided vehicles (AGVs) from Gottwald Port Technology rather then shuttle carriers. We also understand that Gottwald was initially mentioned as the favourite to provide the Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASCs) – just like they did with the DP World Antwerp Gateway in Antwerp, Belgium. Representatives from Gottwald were not available for any comments, neither was Xavier Woodward, Communications Manager at London Gateway when asked why DP World finally opted for Cargotec. The London Gateway announcement comes just days after the UK’s largest box port, Hutchison-owned Port of Felixstowe with 3.3 million TEU handled in 2010, held the official opening ceremony for its deep-water berths eight and nine. Both berths can handle Maersk’s Triple E 18,000 TEU vessels when they come into service in two years. A number of major UK container terminal expansion projects are also in the pipeline at Southampton, Liverpool, Teesport and Bristol.

The festivities started on Wednesday, 28th September, with a ceremony in which a large number of representatives from industry and politics, as well as numerous long-time business partners participated. On the second day Liebherr-Werk Nenzing welcomed around 500 guests from all over the world (including  yours truly). The open day was an extraordinary performance showcase of the Nenzing factory. We enjoyed a varied programme consisting of company tours, machinery presentations, multi-vision shows, information displays and renowned Liebherr hospitalty. The company tour participants were led through all production facilities which offered us an insight into the ultra-modern production technologies such as fully automated robot manufacturing in the new workshop building 8. Moreover, we had the opportunity to get a close look at mega machines such as mobile harbour cranes and offshore cranes, always a thrill for those of us who have never grown up!  On the test stand product presentations demonstrated how two mobile harbour cranes weighing up to 600 tonnes handle containers or move heavy loads in tandem operation with utmost precision by using the Sycatronic – a crane operator assistance system. Sycratronic or Sunschronizing Crane Control System combines the two cranes as one and makes it easier to control by just one crane operator. By using Sycratronic diagonall pull is avoided making sure that crane is not overloaded and that there is no overload to traverse, lifting eyes, etc.

Innovations

One of the highlights was the presentation of the first hydraulic hybrid drive Pactronic for mobile harbour cranes, providing an increase in turnover combined with reduced fuel consumption. This innovative drive system and its positive effects on the working speed were impressively demonstrated on the prototype of the new mobile harbour crane LHM 420. But as you might expect with Liebherr Werk-Nenzing there are some “subtle” items on the agenda presented to the press, which might not be obvious but after close inspection worth mentioning. One of these innovations introduced for the offshore industry was the revolutionary Active Heave Compensation (AHC) system, which registers the strength of wave movement and accurately aligns the suspended load. Obviously the offshore industry might not be relevant for this publication but the AHC system is. Having addressed the issue of floating cranes in the June issue (see page 43 – “Taking to the Water”) and the problems involved with container handling for such a system can this be the first step in the right direction? There are many floating container cranes ideas on the market but there is the problem of rolling and heave of the pontoon. Liebherr has experience with cranes on floating pontoons and is involved in floating bulk terminals so there might be solution on the horizon with this AHC System. Another new development in the field of materials technology is the new crawler crane pendant straps made of carbon fibres. The special properties of carbon fibre and its relative lightness (conventional ropes weigh in at 2.5 tonnes while carbon fibre pendants weigh 0.88 tonnes) offer a huge potential for technical progress. Again, this might be the first step in using carbon fibre in other Liebherr products and although Liebherr representatives were not able to provide further information on this due to pending patents we believe that carbon fibre will be used in the near future on their range of port equipment.

Liebherr philosophy

At the end of a long day the 500 guests were invited for a boat tour and dinner. During dinner the hosts, (son and daughter of founder Hans Liebherr) Willi Liebherr and Isolde Liebherr (with their respective children), joined their guests. For those of you who may not be aware Liebherr is a family business and this was certainly reflected by the family’s down to earth approach during the evening , promoting a friendly”feel good” attitude during their 35th Anniversary and making us all forget that they are running a EUR 7.6 billion company with 33,000 employees worldwide.

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania has undergone a period of political instability with the overthrow of elected governments in 2005 and 2008. The presidential elections of July 18, 2009 facilitated the World Bank’s re-engagement with the government. These recent developments underline challenges, as well as opportunities for the county’s future. Following the discovery of oil, Mauritania became an oil producing country in early 2006. Although the oil actual reserves were not as large as originally expected, the production of about 100 thousand of high quality crude barrels a day together with a more stable political situation, imply that Mauritania’s medium growth perspectives have improved considerably.

Maritime infrastructure

However, Mauritania is still hampered by a lack of basic infrastructure particularly when it comes to maritime transport. Although the country has two ports, namely the Port of Nouakchott mainly aimed at commercial traffic and the Port of Nouadhibou, more specialised in fishing and mining exports, they do face real issues with regards to their capacity and productivity. The port of Nouakchott, also known as Port Autonome de Nouakchott dit Port de l’Amitié (PANPA), was built in the 1980s with Chinese funding, and the current operational structure was set up by a governmental decree in 1987. There are two World Bank projects in Mauritania directly supporting the project: the Urban Development Program which financed a multi-modal study of the sector in 2006 and a Nouakchott flooding risks analysis in 2004; and the Transport Sector Institutional Development and Technical Assistance Project (TSIDTAP), more specifically aimed at designing necessary reforms for highly ineffective institutions, which became effective December 29, 2009. These two projects paved the way for the definition of a project concept for PANPA, based on the issues discussed above. Moreover, the World Bank is also financing, under the Africa Catalytic Growth Fund (ACGF), an important section of Nouakchott-Rosso (between Bombri and Rosso) to complement the European Union (EU) financing.

Constraints to economic growth

Mauritania’s transport sector has been plagued by numerous institutional issues and deteriorating infrastructure, all of which combined, are impeding competitive and efficient transport services. There is a general consensus that poor quality, unreliable and costly transport have constrained economic growth, hampered delivery of social services, and slowed national integration efforts. The formulation of a holistic and coherent transport sector strategy has just started, based on already existing sub-sector strategies (land transport, maritime, and civil aviation); is yet to be approved. The World Bank-financed “National Transport Sector (Multimodal) Strategy Study” and the European Union (EU) funded “Road Management and Investment Program Study” have identified numerous structural problems: institutional (lack of capacity, weak institutions and inadequate institutional arrangements) and physical (deteriorating infrastructures due to insufficient maintenance). Maritime transport and port management functions are divided up among two ministries (Ministry of Equipment and Transport, and Ministry of Maritime Economy and Fishery), resulting in a lack of coordination for the sub-sector planning and management.

Traffic growth

In 1983, traffic in Nouakchott was equal to 304,000 tonnes, and the design was supposed to accommodate up to 900,000 tonnes. However, the projected traffic growth was largely underestimated, since PANPA reached traffic of 2.77 million tonnes in 2010 (including traffic linked to oil, which was not taken into account before). Over the last years, traffic at PANPA followed an average growth of eight percent a year. A study carried out in 2007 by the Chinese company SC TPC, funded by China concluded that, under a high growth scenario, PANPA may have to handle 4 million tonnes in 2015 and 8 million tonnes in 2025. It is worth mentioning that this study projected total port traffic of 2.6 million tonnes in 2010, while the total port traffic in 2010 was actually 2.77 million tonnes. As a result of the initial port design (three berths on a single pier), ships usually have to wait for a long time before unloading. This waiting time has been estimated to be more than half the time spent on operations, which is extremely high compared to other ports in the area and leads to demurrage fees imposed by shipping lines. The extension of PANPA’s capacity is therefore already overdue.

Infrastructure constraints

Container traffic growth over the last fifteen years has been particularly strong which has meant that the share of overall traffic moving by container has gone from 21% in 1995 to 38% in 2010. Furthermore, the number of container handled by PANPA has increased from 30,000 TEU in 2001 to 83,745 TEU in 2010. PANPA’s infrastructure was not designed to efficiently handle containers. Its two containers docks are located on a pier, over 1.5km from the container storage area, leading to highly inefficient container handling. Modern container terminal design imposes an integrated concept where storage areas are located just behind unloading areas. Furthermore, this arrangement does not allow for segregated management of the various kinds of traffic handled by PANPA (bulk including cereals for example) and there is no petroleum products terminal, which results in the city of Nouakchott being supplied through cabotage traffic from Nouhadibou at an estimated extra annual transport cost of USD8 million. Since the opening of PANPA, no port infrastructure development plan has been carried out. Finally, current port draft is only 9m which not adequate for modern ships, be it post-Panama container ships, oil tankers or bulk carriers which usually require a draft of 12m.

 Operational inefficiencies and high costs

Port charges are higher than anywhere else in the area (more than twice that of Dakar, both in terms of cost per ship, as well as, cost per container delivered in Nouakchott). This combination of high costs and congestion contribute to PANPA’s lack of competitiveness and eventually, it has been estimated that Dakar captures annually 25% of PANPA traffic. Part of this high cost is directly linked to PANPA’s lack of appropriate infrastructure and equipment to deal with containers, as it has been estimated that handling from the ships to the container stacking area accounts for 42 to 49% of total container port handling cost.

 Long term infrastructure development plans

China has always been the main partner of GOM for the development of the Port of Nouakchott. When it became obvious that the capacities of PANPA were not sufficient, China launched a study, which also confirmed the needs of PANPA in terms of capacity extension, as well as the need of a container terminal. This resulted in offering four possible scenarios for its expansion. Two of them were abandoned since they were obviously not offering long-term solutions, so only two scenarios remained: Scenario 1 (a container terminal on new quays along the shore) and Scenario 4 (a container terminal on new quays perpendicular to the south shore of the current pier). China has offered to help the Mauritanian Government to implement one of these scenarios, leaving the other one as a possibility of further extension in the future. The project aims to develop the transport sector and its economic management, which requires improving the quality of basic economic infrastructure. The operation itself was mentioned in the CAS but not explicitly in its results matrix, as the possibility of World Bank resources was not yet secured at that time. However, the CAS strongly suggested the use of World Bank enclave funding to accelerate Mauritania’s transition towards a middle-income country status. The new project’s primary development objective is to ensure that PANPA meets its long-term traffic growth in an efficient and effective manner, while effectively mitigating the n
egative environmental impacts generated by its activities and existing and planned infrastructure. In order to deal with the issues mentioned above, the Port of Nouakchott Development Program would be based on the following strategies: to build a container terminal parallel to the shore through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) financially supported by the World Bank, the Government of Mauritania (GOM) and the private sector; and to build new docks perpendicular to the shore through Chinese intervention, more specifically aimed at oil, bulk and general cargo traffic. This would be complemented by environmental measures aimed at mitigating the consequences of both the initial port infrastructure and their extensions. China is funding the construction of new docks, while the World Bank is supporting the government establishment of a PPP scheme for a new container terminal, under a World Bank enclave project while funding activities in support of the environmental action plan. The new World Bank project will have three components, for which several financial instruments available from the World Bank Group (WBG) might be used. A World Bank enclave Credit guaranteed by GOM will constitute the core of WBG support to PANPA, however. The estimated project cost is about USD110 million. The project comprises three main components; firstly, the mobilisation of private funding and securing private sector involvement in the container terminal management; secondly, supporting the optimised investment program for the long term development of PANPA; thirdly, mitigating of negative environmental impacts of existing and planned port infrastructure.