Finland’s Port of Helsinki has made a repeat order for Cavotech’s MoorMaster automated mooring system as part of wider efforts to optimize safety and efficiency and reduce environmental impact. This is the second MoorMaster order at Port of Helsinki and follows similar orders from the Port of Turku and Port of Tallinn in recent months.
“An auto-mooring system decreases the time taken for vessel mooring and release,” said Sari Nevanlinna, vice president passenger services, Port of Helsinki, “And the time saved amounts to significant reductions in fuel consumption, improved local air quality and reduced noise pollution.
“The Port of Helsinki is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of harbor operations through its carbon-neutral program. Auto-mooring systems at the busiest berths play a vital part in the successful reduction of vessels’ carbon emissions. As our passenger terminal is centrally located, nearby residential areas, reducing the impact of harbor operations is of the utmost importance to us.”
Cavotec will supply a multi-unit MoorMaster automated mooring system for berth LJ8 at Port of Helsinki’s Western Terminal. The 180m-long ROPAX ferry M/V Finlandia will use the system two to three times each day. The Finlandia is operated on a service to the Estonian capital Tallinn, where another MoorMaster system is currently being installed. A similar MoorMaster system was introduced at the Port of Helsinki in 2016, which has carried out more than 5,000 moorings to date.
MoorMaster eliminates the need for conventional mooring lines with automated vacuum pads that moor and release vessels in seconds.
“MoorMaster enables the improvements in mooring times and thereby reduced environmental impact and operational efficiency that our customer is looking for,” said Patrick Mares, president, Cavotec Ports & Maritime. “We’re delighted that the Port of Helsinki has decided to order a second MoorMaster system. This demonstrates once again why MoorMaster is still the only proven and widely used automated mooring system available today.”
More than 80 MoorMaster systems have performed some 500,000 moorings at ferry, bulk and container handling ports, as well as lock and ship-to-ship applications worldwide.