Smart Bollards installed at ECT Terminal Port of Rotterdam

Back to the place where it all began: After the successful trial of one Smart Bollard along the quay of Hutchison Ports ECT (Europe Container Terminals) Rotterdam in the Port of Rotterdam, we recently installed 6 pcs of 100T Smart Bollards at the same terminal enabling Port of Rotterdam to measure mooring forces on an entire vessel!

The implementation of these Smart Bollards are part of a series of measures of the Port of Rotterdam aimed at using digital technology to make the port safer and more efficient.

The Smart Bollards will measure the loads acting on the mooring lines. A lack of exact data on moored vessels, which was the case until now, means that ports have to base the maximum mooring loads on safety philosophy and/ or computer modelling. For the Port Authority and Terminal Operator it is important to know exactly what the loads on the mooring lines are doing, especially in case of bad weather with high waves, strong currents and wind. If the loads on the lines are too high, the ropes can break and the ship will detach from the quay which may cause serious accidents. Usage of Smart Bollards can prevent this from happening. It increases safety by giving a real-time overview of the loads of the mooring lines and it provides a better understanding of mooring forces. Through our sophisticated MoorControl software system, clear information is provided to the Terminal Operator, Port Authority and vessel owners due to all the data that is displayed and stored. All this will result in a more efficient use of the port. Especially with more frequent extremes of weather and vessels getting bigger, it is important to have better insights in mooring loads.