For a few short weeks, you have been at the helm of what has been termed “New Zealand’s most important port.” What have you done so far?

I’ve spent much of my time engaging with our employees so that I can better understand their contributions. We have three shifts a day and I have been present for each of them – whether climbing a ladder onto a pilot boat at 5am or talking with team members at the heart of the operation late at night. In addition, Ports of Auckland recently hosted the 11^th Asia/Oceania Regional Forum and Meeting of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), which was a great opportunity to engage with other ports on issues such as capacity and sustainability.

How has your marine background equipped you for the challenges of running Ports of Auckland?

I’ve been in the shipping and logistics industry for over 30 years, first with Seabridge in Wellington, and then with Nedlloyd and P&O Nedlloyd. I then worked in various roles in Africa, Asia and Europe, including being the European Director of Customers Operations in Rotterdam, before being appointed Managing Director, New Zealand and Pacific Islands in 2002. When Maersk took over P & O Nedlloyd I served as the Managing Director of Maersk in New Zealand for three years. The love of the port however has been imbedded into my genes, as my step-father served as a marine pilot.

What are the major challenges facing Ports of Auckland as you see them and what are its strengths?

Our challenge is to ensure good communication among all stakeholders. Our municipal owners are focussed on balancing the cold, hard operations of the port with community needs so that returns can be generated for local infrastructure such as roading and stormwater enhancements. I feel we have numerous strengths as a company, including: Proximity to New Zealand’s biggest consumer market and largest manufacturing base  – supporting an efficient, cost-effective and ‘green’ supply chain

Most advanced port infrastructure, plant and technology of any New Zealand port

We are New Zealand’s largest container port with available capacity, able to handle the largest ships currently calling to New Zealand, and with plans to be able to cater for larger ships.

Does New Zealand really need 13 ports in this age of consolidation?

New Zealand is an island nation where trade has always been important. Also our geography means road and rail links face their own challenges so shipping does have a strong future. That said hubbing is likely to move forward in small steps and eventually I feel international calls will increasingly focus on one or two ports in both the North and South Islands.

Of the 10 container ports, the rivalry between the Port of Tauranga and the Ports of Auckland seems the most marked. Is this a help or a hindrance to your business?

I see it as a healthy rivalry and believe both ports have strong futures. The fact is that in order to meet New Zealand’s projected freight volumes both will be required to operate to their fullest potential. In terms of competition, I’ll be working to ensure a positive environment for both ports and not negative in any way. For the Ports of Auckland the focus will be on operational excellence.

You bill yourself as New Zealand’s “main gateway for international trade” yet the Port of Tauranga handles considerably more tonnage. How does Ports of Auckland justify this claim?

This is not a boast, nor is it an empty claim. Ports of Auckland handled over 12 million tonnes in 2009/2010, connecting with with 176 international ports in 69 countries. It can be tempting to compare the two ports, however it should be noted that while Port of Tauranga handles more volume, Ports of Auckland handles cargo of a higher value. We handled $24.5 billion worth of trade, including 37% of New Zealand’s total container trade by volume – 867,368 TEU compared to approximately 500,000 TEU handled by Tauranga. Of course there are other measures, but the point is we are the closest port to New Zealand’s largest centre of population and its largest manufacturing base.

Going green is a major focus of many major ports around the world. What is Ports of Auckland doing in this environmental area?

In the past financial year Ports of Auckland’s Waitemata seaport operations recorded a 4.3% reduction in electricity used. Diesel used by port operations was down by 2.3% and by port services (Marine) a healthy 20%. This came through smarter use of equipment, but was also impacted by a drop in the number of ship calls. We monitor our greenhouse emissions and carbon footprint closely following an audit in 2007-2008. And, we continue our reuse and recycle policy for all paper, cans, plastic and glass. Construction materials such as oil, scrap metals, dredgings and pavement are also regularly recycled.

Ports the world over are being forced to dredge shipping channels to meet the needs of ever larger container and bulk vessels. What is Ports of Auckland planning to handle the new demands?

Ports of Auckland Ltd is preparing to service the next generation of container vessels by confirming a multi-million dollar investment in a berth deepening and lengthening programme, which will be completed by the end of 2011. It will see the deepening of the northern berth at the Port’s Fergusson Container Terminal, and the construction of a mooring “dolphin” to provide 40m more overhang than we can now. The maximum vessel draught at chart datum (the lowest of low tides) on the outer berth will be increased from 11.7m to 13m and at the inner berth to 12.5m. I feel we are taking a prudent approach to such investments, but one that will sustain and enhance Ports of Auckland’s reputation as New Zealand’s leading container port.

Inland ports or inter modal container handling facilities have been a development over the past decade in New Zealand.

How successful has the Wiri Inland Port been to date?

With 90% of New Zealand’s freight moving by road, we are very pleased with the development of our Freight Hub at Wiri as it will divert more freight to the rail. In fact, our rail volumes increased by 31% in 2009/10. Container volumes at the Wiri Freight Hub have increased by 48.5%. Many of our customers are based within 10km of the hub. By using the rail link to the seaport it is estimated that this group of customers will be
able to reduce the carbon emissions of transporting their containers by up to 40%, and on average by 25%. For the community this means a drop by as many as 100,000 central city truck trips per annum when at capacity.

The cruise ship sector is a “feel good” business for the Ports of Auckland. What are the expectations for the current season and beyond?

Cruise is an important business for the Ports of Auckland and contributes greatly to the Auckland economy. The 2010/2011 cruise season has been a bumper one for Ports of Auckland with over 53 ship visits and another 25 scheduled for the rest of the season. Each cruise call generates approximately one million dollars for the regional economy. In just three years, the number of cruise ship calls to Auckland has risen 40%. We anticipate a further increase in the 2011/2012 season and can only see this growing. We look forward to working with the City to develop a new cruise terminal, most likely on Queens Wharf.

What do you hope to accomplish in your term as Ports of Auckland Chief Executive?

I plan to establish a winning culture that benefits employees, our stakeholders and the community. I firmly believe that a winning culture is many, many times more powerful than any strategy. Of course we will still have a solid strategy backing the culture up.

While researching this article we have heard from dredging contractors around the world that who have been busy naming new and larger dredgers. Although some of these dredgers were ordered before the global economic downturn, dredging contractors are confident that they can find work for them. In February, the largest self-propelled cutter suction dredger built in the Netherlands and one of the largest cutter suction dredgers in the world was named ‘Athena’ at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. Dutch dredging contractor Van Oord signed the contract for the design, construction and delivery of the vessel back in September 2008. The vessel will be operational in October 2011 and is equipped with the latest dredging technology, which makes it suitable for working on hard ground and rock down to a depth of more than 32m. The designers paid particular attention to ergonomics and living conditions on board. For example, the entire accommodation section is suspended in order to counteract vibrations. Once it is operational, the Athena will be provided with a Green Passport and a Clean Ship Notation, both from Bureau Veritas. It will be the first dredger in the world to be awarded a Clean Ship Notation. At the end of 2010, Van Oord awarded the contract for the construction of a second powerful, self-propelled cutter suction dredger, Artemis, a sister ship for the Athena.  

Damen Dredging Equipment

Another dredger builder is Damen Dredging Equipment, the Netherlands, which reports that it has delivered from stock a CSD500 to Kazachstan. The cutter suction dredger (CSD) has started on its first job, the creation of a new irrigation channel. The standard dredger has been fitted out with several options before leaving the Damen yard. According to Damen the CSD500 is a modular-built dredger which consists of a main pontoon housing the diesel engine and the dredge pump, 2 side pontoons at both port side and starboard side, an ergonomically designed operating cabin, 2 spud poles and the cutter ladder. The pontoons are fitted out with a simple yet heavy duty coupling system enabling rapid and straightforward dismantling and reassembly on land and afloat. All elements have been designed for road, sea and rail transport – very apt as it has been delivered by rail from the Netherlands to its current remote site. The job the new dredger currently is working on is a 14km long irrigation channel, linking an artificial lake to the surrounding farmland. The channel is to be created from scratch and the total job will comprise dredging of some 2 million cubic meters of soil and the dredger will work at its maximum dredging depth of -14m. Before leaving the yard, various options were added to that standard dredger. These include a jib crane for safe handling of the dredge pump and engine room parts, a swivel hose which simplified the dredgers swing movement versus its rigid discharge piping and a rubber ring gate valve in its discharge pipe line. At the end of last year, Damen delivered the CSD ‘Amoris’ to the Port of Antwerp where it will work on the polluted silt treatment plant of SeReAnt. The stationary cutter suction dredger with its 450mm discharge diameter is fitted with 4 spuds of which 2 are placed in spud carriages to ensure a continuous and smooth dredging process. The heavy duty cutter ladder swings by means of hydraulic cylinders, instead of the traditional wide wire winches. The entire dredger including its dredge pumps is electrically driven, while the required total power on-board is 15.75kV at 1.800kVA. The dredge pump capacity for both the cutter action as well as the barge unloader is around 3.000m3/h. The fully automated dredger features for instance dredge pump capacity control, swing ladder control, and automated coupling to the shore-based treatment plant.

Ellicott Dredges

US-based Ellicott Dredges announced the delivery of an 1170 Dragon dredger to dredging contractor Cavache for use on the Kissimmee River Restoration Project. The natural flow of the Everglades is being repaired as part of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, a partnership between the Army Corps of Engineers and South Florida Water Management District.  The main objective of the project is to restore the Everglades ecosystem to its original integrity prior to the floodplain being drained in the 1960s. The dredger is being used to widen the bottom of the canal from 21m to 27m in order to maintain protection against flood damage. The dredger is a crucial component in restoring more than 40 square miles of river-floodplain ecosystem, and is equipped with fully compliant EPA engines, C-32 main and C-9 auxiliary. In addition, the dredger was supplied with bio-degradable hydraulic fluid, which is harmless to the environment if spilled. Ellicott recently designed a fully digital control system featuring PLC-based automation, fingertip controls, data logging capability, and remote control of a booster pump for its customer Alcoa World Alumina Brazil. This system easily allows the dredge operator to view extensive information on the production of the dredger. Also included is a state-of-the-art dredge positioning system, allowing the operator to capture the moves of the dredger in real time. The built-in GPS system and inclinometer provide overall dredge positioning information. The user-friendly interface also incorporates extensive alarms for the dredging system, hydraulic system, and ladder position to ensure all aspects are functioning properly.

IMS Dredge

Ryan Horton, Director of Sales at IMS Dredge, US informed WPD that the Water Resources Department in India has begun using their dredger on an experimental basis to de-silt South Buckingham canal. The de-silting and widening is part of the improvement work being undertaken on the 13km canal stretch
between Okkiyam Madu and Muttukadu under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in India. About 200m of the canal near Sholinganallur is being cleaned on a trial basis using machinery from IMS Dredge. Normally, three excavators are used to deepen and de-silt the canal. The machine is used to deepen the canal from the existing three feet to nearly eight feet. A similar dredger has already been used for a project in Neyveli. Once successful, the machine would be used on the entire stretch of the canal. The de-silting work is set to be completed in a few months. The work to widen the canal from the present 20m to 100m will be finished in a year. Simultaneously, six small causeways across the canal would be reconstructed and made into single-lane bridges.

Ravestein BV

Ravestein BV, the Netherlands has announced that it has been awarded a contract by DEME (Dredging, Environmental & Marine Engineering) for the design and construction of a Backhoe Dredger, type Ravestein 900B, at the end of November 2010. The delivery of this turn key project is scheduled on 15 December 2011. The dredger has two fixed spud legs, one hydraulically operated spud carrier with spud leg and an excavator. Each leg can press 340 tonnes and has a holding force of 640 tonnes. They will have a diameter of 1.6mx1.6m. The excavator is a Liebherr P 995 Liptronic type which is specifically designed for a maritime environment.

Watermaster

 Watermaster is a versatile environmental dredger especially designed for challenging shallow water environments, such as waterways, small rivers, lakes, ponds, basins and sea shores. In addition to suction dredging and backhoe work, Watermaster can be used for instance for pile driving in water or on-shore lines. Transporting the dredger is easy; it is movable as a complete unit on a standard trailer. When the machine arrives to the site it can unload by itself and “walk” in and out of the water without crane assistance. It ‘cruises’ to the work site using its own propeller system and anchors independently by using its rear legs and front spuds. This means that there is no need for wires, anchors, hydraulic winches, tugboats or service boats for moving or working. These benefits simplified the decision for the City of Sipalay in the Philippines to opt for a Watermaster. In view of continued and worsening problem of flooding and devastation in the City it needed to act by dredging the Sipalay River channel from its mouth up to about a kilometer and a half upstream in order to increase the present capacity of the channel to facilitate more efficient transport of water towards the sea. The dredging component of the project was the biggest challenge because of an instant high capital financial outlay requirement, but the Watermaster came up trumps.To date Watermaster has already logged-in over 11.000 working hours and has dredged vast amount of silt and sand. It is still continually on its maintenance dredging operation in the bay area at the mouth of the river.

IHC Merwede

IHC Merwede, the Netherlands is delighted to announce that alternative fuels have been used in the dredging process for the first time. The company ran a pilot test in which energy derived from hydrogen was the sole source used to power the electrical equipment on board a dredger.  The sustainable energy test took place at the Haringvliet estuary in the Netherlands with one of the latest generation of standard cutter suction dredgers: the IHC Beaver 40. Connecting a fuel cell to a dredger had not been tested previously and it needed to operate under the difficult conditions that are typical of the dredging process – vibrations, dust, water, frost and wave motion. The fuel cell successfully powered the dredger for approximately 120 hours. “The pilot test demonstrates that alternative energy sources can be applied to power dredgers,” said Marcel Boor, Manager of Projects & Development at IHC Merwede. The electrical equipment on the current line-up of ships is powered by diesel generators, which results in the emission of harmful substances. The use of fuel cells is emission free, as the hydrogen is converted into heat, electricity and clean water. One of IHC Merwede’s main aims is to construct sustainable vessels. The new IHC Beaver 40 for example has been fitted with LED lighting and the use of high-grade materials means that these ships require less maintenance. IHC Engineering Services, part of IHC Merwede, and Liebherr-France (Mining and Marine Excavators division) also announced that they have entered into a cooperation agreement. Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding joint activity in relation to product development, sales and global service of IHC backhoe dredgers. The range of IHC backhoe dredgers comprises stationary dredgers that can be used for a wide range of marine operations fitted with Liebherr excavators and fully adapted for continuous use in maritime environments. The pontoon can be partially lifted out of the water so that the dredger is firmly held in place by the ground. The pontoon is equipped with three spuds for lifting and positioning the IHC backhoe dredger: two fixed spuds are positioned close to the excavator; and the third spud, together with a hydraulically operated spud carrier, is positioned on the opposite side of the dredger. The collaboration between these market-leading partners confirms Liebherr-France’s (Mining and Marine Excavators division) and IHC Merwede’s combined ambition to design and deliver backhoe dredgers for their customers with the lowest cost of ownership. With their respective global presences, both partners offer their customers a worldwide service network.

After all, floating cranes have proved their worth in the bulk industry. So it poses the question of why they would not be successful in the loading and unloading of containers.  This particular subject matter struck a chord when World Port Development attended a seminar organised by the Technical University in Delft, the Netherlands where a student explained the many issues he encountered while writing his thesis on this interesting topic. After two years he became so disillusioned by the challenges associated with issues such as pitching and rolling of the barge or pontoon and perhaps more importantly the positioning of the spreader above the container, that he decided to concentrate on another and perhaps easier subject matter for his thesis. So, it seems that the principle of floating container cranes is desirable but perhaps unobtainable – or is it? At a recent seminar Ulrich Malchow, Managing Director of Port Feeder Barge insisted that his company has developed a self-propelled container pontoon that would revolutionise the industry. The pontoon has a capacity of 168 TEU (completely stowed on the weather deck) and is equipped with its own state-of-the-art heavy-duty container crane mounted on a high column. The crane will have a maximum outreach of 29m and will be equipped with an automatic spreader with a capacity of 40 tonnes, and is retractable from 20ft to 45ft, including a turning device. A telescopic over height frame is also carried along on board.  Malchow also points out that “due to the wide beam of the vessel no operational (stability) restrictions for the crane shall occur.” The pontoon is equipped with 2 electrically driven rudder propellers at each end in order to achieve excellent manoeuvrability and the same speed in both directions.  When berthed, the Port Feeder Barge is able, without being shifted along the quay, to put or pick 84 TEU in three layers between the rails of typical quayside gantry cranes. This is more than sufficient, with a total loading capacity of 168 TEU. That is why the full outreach of the crane is not always needed. Berthing the vessel with the crane on the opposite side of the quay would speed up crane operation as the turning time of the outrigger is minimised. The height of the crane column is sufficient to serve even high quays in open tidewater ports at low tide while stacking the containers in several layers or to serve deep sea vessels directly. Although the port feeder barge looks like an excellent alternative no actual barge has yet been built to date but according to Malchow the company is on the brink of signing a licence contract with a third party. This might be a break-through if this becomes a reality as there are ‘smaller river vessels’ operating on the European inland waterways carrying containers and loading/off loading with a crane except these are not equipped with an automatic spreader but with a telescopic over height frame.

Successful teamwork

There is one interesting observation in the specification of the port feeder barge and that is that the crane will be provided by Austrian-based Liebherr. Liebherr has a separate department specialising in offshore and ship cranes and has successfully teamed up with Italian companies Logmarin and Bedeschi to provide floating terminals for the bulk industry (see last year’s article). But it doesn’t stop there for Liebherr – the applied crane technology for floating terminals continues as increases in capacity for other areas improve.

More recently, Liebherr developed a heavy lift offshore crane, type CAL 64000 – 1500 Litronic, for the company Beluga Hochtief Offshore, for a special jack-up vessel for the assembly of offshore wind power stations. The crane will have a maximum lifting capacity up to 1,500 tonnes at a maximum radius of 31.5m. The boom length of the crane currently on order is 105m. Moreover, the crane is designed as ‘Crane Around the Leg’, i.e. it is built around one of the vessel’s four legs – making the new crane the first heavy lift offshore crane in the world to be built according to this design.  The crane is able to rotate 360 degrees around the vessel’s leg and will be equipped with a powerful electro-hydraulic drive with 4,000kW, the Litronic control system developed by Liebherr as well as the integrated power management provide optimum performance in all operating conditions. Although the type CAL 64000 – 1500 Litronic crane is enormous it might pave the way for future applications of using ship cranes for floating terminals.

Expertise and technology

Similar crane expertise and technology is used at Germany-manufacturer of mobile harbour cranes, Gottwald Port Technology. Over the years Gottwald has successfully sold floating cranes to operators by using their mobile harbour crane technology and installing it on a barge.  Last June, the company received an order from India-based Archean Group for a G HPK 8200 B Floating Crane for its coal operations in Indonesia. With this order the total number of this crane type sold since the launch in 2004 has increased to 18. The Archean Group, a new customer for Gottwald, is a diversified industrial conglomerate with interests in salt, mines and minerals, shipping, building materials, and industrial chemicals. Through its affiliate PT Core Mineral Indonesia the group operates coal mines in Indonesia, serving customers worldwide. The new G HPK 8200 B, which is scheduled to be delivered in August 2010 and expected to start commercial operation before the end of the year, will be used for open-sea trans-shipment of export coal from barges to ocean-going vessels off the Indonesian coast in the province Bengkulu (also known as Southwest Sumatra). The crane is designed as a 4-rope grab crane for heavy-duty bulk handling with a grab capacity on the ropes of 63 tonnes up to a radius of 34m. It can be used alongside ships of all sizes and, depending on conditions, is designed for handling rates of up to 1,500tph. Using proven Mobile Harbour Crane technology from the slew ring upwards, the crane will be mounted on a cylindrical pedestal integrated in a tailor-made barge design. Both the pedestal and the barge will be manufactured by the customer. Gottwald has recognised the Americas and large
parts of Asia, as hot spots for their floating crane solutions. According to the company, Asia’s economy has been developing fast with terminal planning and extension on the increase and floating cranes are the ideal choice to improve and increase handling capacity in ports and terminals especially because of their short delivery lead times.  Last year, the company sold four new floating cranes – all were 4-rope machines for bulk handling operations – especially coal. The orders were received from new and existing customers in Asia and the United States.

Diversified portfolio

In the United States, E-crane is working hard to apply their ‘balance crane’ technology to floating terminals. Like Gottwald the company has diversified its portfolio by applying their balance cranes technology to rail-mounted, floating and crawler cranes. It has gone even further by entering the dredging industry by offering their cranes with a special dredger grab further expanding their customer base. E-Crane recently sold a new barge unloader to PowerSouth Energy Cooperative for its upgraded Lowman Power Plant on the Tombigbee River near Leroy, Alabama for flue gas desulfurisation (FGD). The company used an old gantry rope crane to unload coal from barges for many years.  But since the new FGD process requires limestone, the company has to handle coal and limestone, creating the need for a faster, more efficient and more versatile barge unloading capacity. In addition, the Tombigbee River level at the Lowman plant fluctuates up to about 35 feet, depending on the season and weather.  “This had caused us some real problems over the years,” said Mike Barton, Utility Supervisor at PowerSouth. “Crews were forever running up and down steps trying to secure the barges under difficult circumstances. It was a time and safety factor that we just had to live with.” After investigation, it was determined that there was a complete and easy solution to the increased material unloading and river level problems: an E-Crane floating terminal consisting of two barges (one for the E-Crane and one to support the conveyor), a hopper, a barge-haul system, and a barge-breasting system. The E-Crane is equipped with a 25-yard bucket and can unload 1500 tonnes per hour.

E-Crane’s hydraulically pivoting, mechanically-linked boom design keeps the machine in near perfect balance throughout the working range. Having gravity work for you instead of against you reduces horsepower requirements and power consumption up to 50%. A central lubrication system and accessible hydraulics simplify maintenance.  All in all, in these difficult times there is some good news around but in the future is it possible we may be reporting on the first floating container crane with a fully automatic spreader? Maybe we should keep on dreaming…

The port is the brainchild of entrepreneur Eike Batista, the Brazilian billionaire. His company LLX Logistica has provided the basic detailing, engineering and management of the project. Tecton Engineering submitted the design while Logos Engineering was responsible for monitoring construction and quality control. Eventually the port will include an industrial complex incorporating a steel plant, two cement plants, a power plant, an oil refinery and at least four mills for iron ore pelletising and is estimated to create 50,000 jobs. The most important part in the port’s development programme at this point was completed last March. This is the access jetty to the berthing piers, a huge structure of concrete and steel nearly three kilometers long and 26.6 meters wide, linking the coast to 10 berths for mooring vessels and complete with offshore loading and unloading facilities. A joint venture comprising two Rio de Janeiro-based contractors, ARG and Civil Port, was awarded the access jetty contract. ARG is the main contractor with an 80% share while Civil Port has expertise in port development projects.

Driving force

To form the jetty foundations and to drive the steel and concrete piles required, a CG300 hydraulic piling hammer fitted with a 20t ram weight was purchased from manufacturer BSP International Foundations (BSP) based at Ipswich in England. Following the hammer’s commissioning by BSP field engineers, the CG300, suspended from a Manitowoc 300 crane fitted with a 60m boom, began driving concrete piles in August 2008. Approximately 1200 concrete piles 47m long and 800mm in diameter were driven 10m to 15m into the sea bed through sand and layered clay over a 19 month period. In addition, tubular steel piles were driven in areas with thick layers of soft clay. The longest of these were up to 96m and filled with concrete. Piling was carried out in three shifts, 24 hours a day, every day of the week over a stretch of water 14m deep. At the same time dredging was carried out to deepen the access channel and berthing basin to 18.5m with further dredging planned to 21m allowing the port to receive large ships such as bulk carriers up 220,000t. The piling grid for the structure consisted of rows of four to six piles driven to create a pier. Altogether 163 piers were built and were spaced 20m apart with each pier linked together by four parallel concrete beams 20m long and weighing 38t each to form the base of jetty deck. To ensure accuracy and enhance production the contractors used a purpose built 1100t steel gantry frame for the piling work with opening gates and mounted on two railway tracks. The gantry was supported on previously driven piles which allowed up to six piles to be held in place and positioned in rows. Piles were then driven to a predetermined level and when the gantry gates were opened the hammer was able to pass through and drive the piles to the required depth. For every five piles driven two further inclined piles were driven at the end of each pier to avoid side swing of the structure and to contain pitching. As each pier was completed and capped the gantry was then moved forward together with the crane and hammer thus moving the pile gates to the next position ready for a new batch of piles to be loaded. This system allowed the jetty to move seaward at a rate of 20m per week.  Throughout the project the contractors have s achieved excellent results with the CG300 hammer enabling the company to keep ahead of the construction programme.  The crane suspended CG300 is just one of BSP’s heavy-duty CG range of piling hammers with ram weights from 12t up to 25t. The company’s larger CGL range offers ram weights from 25t up to 40t.  Maximum impact energies extend from 185kNm to 400kNm. All have been designed for driving a variety of bearing piles including steel, combi piles, ‘H’ sections and reinforced/pre-stressed concrete piles and can be operated from piling rig leaders or, as in the Porto do Acu project, crane suspended. Also included are hinged type back guides to allow quicker installation onto the leader. Some important features include: total control of hammer stroke and blow rate, precise matching of energy to suit the particular pile driving requirements and the ability to drive piles with an ultimate load bearing up to 14,500kN. Fitted with a BSP remote control panel, the CG range is capable of delivering an infinitely variable stroke and blow rate enabling precise delivery of energy to the pile thereby allowing the contractor to maximise production, avoid pile damage and problems of pile runaway.  A major feature of the CG hammers is the design of the hydraulic actuator which, for a given blow rate and energy transference, results in less fuel consumption and reduced exhaust emissions  Piling helmets are also available to efficiently transfer the hammer’s impact to the pile.  Using a BSP manifold control valve the CG range can be connected into existing power supply from a hydraulic piling rig or crawler crane base.   All the concrete used for the manufacture of the pre-cast piles and capping beams was produced in a purpose build facility on the onshore site. Construction of the jetty is estimated to have consumed 100,000m3 of concrete and 16,000t of steel. It is forecast that the port will eventually handle over 63 million tonnes of iron ore, 10 million of steel products, 15 million of coal, five million of dry bulk and 7.5 million of general cargo.