For Borkum Riffgrund II all operational processes have been thought out by bringing the relevant stakeholders in execution to the table. This has led to a new bunker solution on Bold Tern. In the planning phase, many possible solutions were discussed as to how bunker operations could be done while loading – and keeping the operation simple was paramount.
The solution
The solution is using the hydraulic operated boat landing. By using the boat landing that extends below the hull, it can act as a barrier between the vessel and bunker barge – not limiting bunker operations due to the large air gap while jacked up.
On Borkum Riffgrund II the solution works like this:
- Operation starts 2-3 hours before high tide
- Boat landing is deployed (takes 5-10 minutes)
- The bunker barge moores to Bold Tern landing with spring lines on the boat landing at their level, and with head and stern lines up on the bollards on deck level
- Connect and start pumping – operation stops, at the latest, 2-3 hours before low tide. For Borkum Riffgrund only 200-350 t is bunkered which only takes a couple of hours including connecting and disconnecting. This gives a buffer time of 40% in case of unforeseen delays.
So now it is possible to bunker parallel with load-out and thereby not affecting the load-out at all.
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