Safe shipping transit across the Itajaí-Açu river to Teporti Terminal
SHIP-Navigator and nautical workshop for local pilots, port authorities and the navy
PROJECT STORY
The Challenge
The heavy load carrier Fairmaster needed to reach the Teporti terminal, but first it had to navigate a twisting river; the Itajaí-Açu.
The Solution
Arcadis ran local workshops and used its SHIP-Navigator advanced simulation software to literally steer the ship in the right direction.
The Impact
The workshop and simulations have given port authorities the confidence to safely navigate large ships across the Itajaí-Açu river.
150m
long ship safely navigated across winding river
The Challenge
The TEPORTI shipping terminal in Brazil can only be reached via the very twisting river, the Itajaí-Açu. As these bends are often also particularly sharp, it is quite a challenge for larger ships to successfully navigate the 12-km-long river. This was also the case for the 150-meter-long Fairmaster, the first ship of this size intending to use the TEPORTI terminal. This called for some thorough preparations.
The Solution
In order to ensure that ships of this size can reach the port, Arcadis performed simulations in the Netherlands using SHIP-Navigator. This is a nautical simulator that analyzes ambient conditions and other factors affecting ships. These simulations led to the optimization of the waterway and turning basin. We also calculated the maximum permissible ambient conditions in which it is still safe to enter and leave the port.
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We then moved our research to the site in Brazil. There, we held a nautical workshop with everyone directly involved to take them through the maneuver, and we arranged for local pilots to practice using the SHIP-Navigator ship simulator. All these simulations were conducted under the watchful eye of the navy, the port authority and the pilotage services.
The Impact
Thanks to the instructions from our simulation workshop, local pilots now know how they can bring extremely large ships safely across the Itajaí-Açu. The workshop and the simulations also gave the port authorities the confidence to handle these larger ships. This meant that the heavy load carrier the Fairmaster, which had been awaiting approval for months, was finally given the green light to enter the TEPORTI terminal. The crossing went perfectly and all the parties involved were very pleased.