Dynamic Mooring Analysis for new HES Hartel Tank Terminal Rotterdam

The Maasvlakte is an excellent location for a liquid bulk terminal, offering a VLCC draft terminal with direct access to sea. The quay will offer 6 mooring positions for sea-going vessels including VLCC’s.

The terminal will be the first terminal in the Netherlands that will be built according to the latest PGS 29 regulations for tank storage, meaning that the terminal will meet very high safety and environmental requirements.

More information on https://www.hesharteltankterminal.eu/

Dynamic Mooring Analyses

Local environmental conditions impose dynamic loading on the mooring system during (off-)loading of the tankers. When ships pass close to moored ships, the resulting hydrodynamic interaction forces can cause significant loads in the mooring system. These loads and the related motions of the moored ship are particularly important in a channel like the Mississippihaven.

A Dynamic Mooring Analysis (DMA) was carried out using SHIP-Moorings to support the design and operation of the terminal.

The results of this study enable the client to increase the operability and safety of the terminal. Optimizing the mooring system using DMA is a cost-effective measure to improve safety and minimize operational downtime in ports and at terminals.

Services delivered

The initial mooring system design is checked and optimized. Loads by passing ships and environmental loads are determined for the moored tankers. Limiting environmental conditions as well as the limited passing ship scenarios (distances and velocities) are established. The resulting movements and accelerations of the moored tankers serve as input for the design of the marine loading arms.

Nautical software

For harbors, marine terminals, floating terminals and offshore structures, optimizing the mooring system is important for improving safety and minimizing operational downtime. Moored ships respond to external forces due to wind, waves, current and passing ships. In extreme cases, this can result in e.g. large ship motions causing system downtime in cargo handling operations, damage to the moorings system due to large loads endangering ship’s crew and terminal personnel, requirement of tug support or additional shore based moorings. Using SHIP-moorings in combination with SHIP-Passing enabled us to determine main characteristics for a safe mooring layout and provided case specific input for the design of the (un-)loading equipment.