Projects

INNOVATIVE PORT DOCKING SYSTEM SOLUTION

A universal cargo system promises to save operators time and money whilst freeing up ports from blockages and congestion, writes Anne-Marie Causer

The FREBs docking system is basically made up of a drydock which sits at 90 degrees to the quayside and is serviced by a barge(s) which can load and unload ships more efficiently than the standard container handling setup.

“This barge system could change the direction of cargo handling,” says the brain behind the system, Michael Freeland of Frebs Marine International in the UK.

“Cargo ships at the moment are rarely fully loaded. This system allows a handler a floating storage space which can be preloaded and unloaded straight on to the dock, reducing mooring times, moves and warehouse costs.”

CLEVER CONCEPT

The FREBS concept, formulated by Mr Freeland over many years, is based on his extensive experience in the RFA, which supplied NATO fighting ships across the world.

Key to the concept, Mr Freeland says, is getting away from the cargo being made to fit the barge and moving towards the barge being made to fit the cargo.

The FREBS drydock can be serviced by several straddle cranes at the same time. The cranes can each lift one (or two) containers and deposit these straight onto railway wagons or road trucks or onto the dockside for later collection.

A FREBS dock holds the barge securely after the caisson has been closed. Hence a barge remains at a constant level as the tide rises and falls. This ensures that the loading ramps remain static at the bow or at the beam.

If a number of drydocks are built in parallel at a port, the reduction in the loading and unloading time per barge could be 50% or more, says Mr Freeland.

Each barge is basically an autonomous 'feeder ship' which, with its own inter-changeable power pack that can motor itself to and from the FREBS dock for unloading.

EFFICIENT BARGES

FREBs offers two barge sizes - Maxi which is 220 by 75 ft, about the size of a football pitch and Mini, which is 110 by 37 foot wide.

A barge is designed to carry, among other things, nonperishable goods of any kind loaded by the supplier in standard containers, perishable goods stored in reefers which can be plugged into the barge's power supply and dry bulk cargos, such as iron ore, grain and aggregates. and unloading of barges and a hard-top deck which can be fitted with solar panels to augment the main power unit. In the bow are two 'sunken' helicopter pads. The control bridge is over the stern doors. The main power unit is one of 4x inter-changeable powerpacks in the bow. Any one of these can drive 3x azipods in the stern and 2x additional azipods forward and they can also power reefers.

The azipods can be fuelled by non-polluting LNG or hydrogen and rotary sails are an option to add extra power.

In the future, Mr Freeland says that a Technomax can be made to be autonomous.

The Technomax is able to navigate oceans and canals worldwide, has covered decks protecting the barges from the weather and so eliminates any loss of cargo at sea.

Barges can be preloaded with cargo or rigged up to an anchorage to bring in when ready. Barges may also be left in a dock, empty or loaded, awaiting the arrival of the Technomax.

After re-loading the barge returns to the offshore mooring to be floated into the Technomax.

GREEN SOLUTION

“Many ports across the world are congested for most of the time,” says Mr Freeland.

“Our universal cargo system provides the solution. Investment in our unique design of motherships, MaxiBarges and docks will eliminate port congestion, reduce pollution in-port and reduce overall shipping costs.”

“The Technomax can carry a mix of cargos which, if all containerised, would be c.7,200 teu. A fleet of motherships would be able to deliver more cargo than one ULCV and be considerably quicker and at much lower cost.”

Mr Freeland wants the industry to sit up and pay attention to how much money and time they could be saving by using the FREBS concept.

He says that larger motherships are planned with extended capacity in the future to keep up with the increasing size of containerships.

Mr Freeland says he is currently seeking support from the major shipping lines and ports operators to launch the concept.

If you are interested in supporting the concept, please email info@frebsmarine.com.

A fleet of motherships would be able to deliver more cargo than one ULCV and be considerably quicker and at much lower cost

The smaller barges can be locked together to offer more flexible storage capacity and create a Technomax mothership.

A Technomax mothership is 1,200 feet LOA and 160 feet beam and is made up of a maximum of 8 x Maxi barges and 8 x Mini barges.

The Technomax has a semi-submersible hull to allow loading

D1 D2

8 The Techomax

mothership D1 shows the open rear doors through which the barges are floated in and out. D2 - shows the ship with the deck 'cut away' loaded with 8 x Mini barges plus 4 x Maxi barges (each with 5 x bulkheads)