Handy Workboat for Huge Port

The export of refined iron ore from Australia to China has led to the development of gigantic infrastructure especially for the loading process from shore to ship. The company web page describes this process as follows:

“The magnetite concentrate is exported to China from a purpose-built port at Cape Preston. From the stockyard, the product is transported to the barge loading berth at the breakwater through the 4.4km conveyor belt.

“Port Preston is the Pilbara’s first greenfield port to be built in more than 40 years. Unlike traditional iron ore ports which require deep-water channels to accommodate the massive tidal movements of the region, we currently use a transshipment method. A first in Western Australia, transshipment sees the product first loaded onto barges or a Transshipment Shuttle Self-unloading Vessel (TSV) at the loading berth along the breakwater. The barges are then towed offshore where a trans-shipper loads product onto larger ocean-going vessels (OGVs). The TSV is a self-propelled built-for-purpose vessel which uses a gravity reclaiming system and a single point loading system to load the OGVs.”

The maintenance of this infrastructure requires that work crews be moved quickly and efficiently over considerable distances. To meet this need an efficient and specialized crew boat has been designed by Incat Crowther and being built at Evolution Commercial Shipyard. The 20.6 by 7.5-meter aluminum catamaran will have a one-meter draft. Bunks for a crew of four, two in each hull, are arranged forward in the hulls. The  main deck house has seating for 21 passengers with eleven inside and ten more in a sheltered deck area.

Propulsion will be a pair of Cummins QSK19 main engines turning into ZF2050 gearboxes and driving Kamewa 45A3 water-jets. The two main engines, each generate 597 kW at 2100 RPM. A pair of Onan  27.0MDKDU generators will produce 27 kW of electrical power at 50Hz. A two-meter height is provided alongside the engines to facilitate ease of access.

A handy feature for a workboat in an ore loading port is the installation of a bin beside the cabin door for a “bootie dispenser” to cover mud caked boots before entering the seating area. One of the two heads in the aft of the cabin also has a shower. Fendering forward and an extendable mesh walkway will allow for easy access to the work site.

Construction of the new vessel is anticipated to be completed by approximately April of 2019.

For further information:

Evolution Commercial
49 Clarence Beach Road,
Henderson,
Western Australia 6166
Phone: (08) 6555 4980
E-mail: wa@evolutioncommercial.com.au
Web: http://evolutioncommercial.com.au/

Troy Drysdale
Industrial, Automotive and Marine Sales Executive
Cummins Perth
3 Reid Road
Perth Airport, WA, 6105
Western Australia

Phone 61-8-9475-8717
Cell 61-(0) 408 977 155
Fax 61-9-475-8660
E-mail:
www.cummins.com
troy.drysdale@cummins.com

Incat Crowther
PO Box 179 Terrey Hills
NSW, 2084, Australia
Phone +61 2 9450 0447
E-mail: info@incatcrowther.com
Web: www.incatcrowther.com