Cavotec MSL wins follow-up MoorMaster™ order from Canada’s St. Lawrence Seaway

Global engineering group, Cavotec MSL, has won a second order for its automated mooring system from the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC). A vital trade link between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, the Seaway’s use of MoorMaster™ promises to continue cutting vessel transit time and creating a safer environment for those working on board ships and shore-side.

“Cavotec is delighted to build on the success of the initial order, and see our relationship with the SLSMC flourish,” says Cavotec MSL CEO, Ottonel Popesco.

MoorMaster™ is a vacuum-based automated mooring technology that moors vessels in seconds, eliminating the need for conventional mooring lines. The system counteracts vessel surge in port caused by changes in wave dynamics.

While MoorMaster™ was conceived and designed to cope with changes in water level of up to four metres in ports, Cavotec adapted the system for the SLSMC to deal with variations of up to 14 metres. The Seaway is the world’s first inland waterway to contemplate replacing mooring ropes and cables with MoorMaster™.

“We seek to work closely with our customers to obtain a thorough understanding of their individual requirements, and subsequently develop specific solutions; in this case adapting MoorMaster™ to an entirely new application. This is a synergy that continues with and beyond this order,” comments Popesco.

The SLSMC originally ordered two MoorMaster™ units which underwent testing in 2007 and 2008. These units have shown promise within the operating environment found at the St. Lawrence Seaway. This new order will see Cavotec deliver two new MoorMaster™ systems, and retrofit the two existing units. Deliveries and installation are set for completion by the end of the summer, when all four units will automate the mooring at Lock 7 on the Welland Canal. Under the deal, Cavotec will also provide commissioning and local training support.

“Currently, vessels need to be specifically fitted for transit of our Seaway locks. With MoorMaster™, we will be able to welcome a wider variety of vessels from the world fleet into our existing facilities. We are optimistic that the application of MoorMaster™ technology will bring about an increase in Seaway transits and tonnage volume,” says Richard J. Corfe, SLSMC President and CEO.

“We have been impressed by how MoorMaster™ performs in the lock environment, and we expect to realize further improvements in efficiency with the new units. The application of MoorMaster™ technology promises a vessel transit experience that builds upon the Seaway’s reputation for safety and reliability, improving the working environment for both ship and shore-side personnel,” adds Jean Aubry-Morin, Vice President and Director of Corporate Sustainability at the SLSMC.

The order follows a rigorous testing program over the past two years. The systems will be engineered and manufactured at Cavotec facilities in New Zealand and North America.

Opened in 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway is comprised of 13 Canadian and 2 U.S. locks, and enables vessels to transit from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes at the heart of North America. The Seaway is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2009, with over 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued in excess of $375 billion having transited the system since its inception.

MoorMaster™ has already been installed by Searoad Shipping Australia, Toll in New Zealand, at the APM Terminals container facility at the Port of Salalah in Oman, and will be used on three high frequency fast ferry routes in Denmark, operated by Nordic Ferry Services A/S.