Noel Murphy
GEELONG port will soon accommodate large ships and tankers with draughts up to 30cm deeper without needing to dredge out Corio Bay’s channels.
A high-tech new dynamic under-keel clearance system, using readings of tide, speed, atmospheric pressure, wind and other factors, will be used for grain, refinery and fertiliser ships plying the bay.
Captain Peter McGovern, of Victorian Regional Channels (VRC), said the system was in use at two dozen ports elsewhere around the world, including the Port of Melbourne.
“It uses real-time measurements and has quite sophisticated software,” he said.
“When a ship comes along deep in the water physics drag it deeper into the water – what’s called squat in hydrotechnical terms. This system allows the pilot to watch the ship and indicate where it should slow down if he sees problems.
“The refinery said every 10cm of extra draught was worth $10 million a year to them. This is surprisingly cheap – less than $200,000 for installation, software and training, and $150,000 for licensing a year.
“It’s not the millions you’d expected. It’s very, very clever and should be in operation in two to three months, it’s very quick to put in.”
Capt McGovern said the system was an invention of Melbourne’s Terry O’Brien, an ex-academic recognised in the Queen’s Birthday honours for his work with maritime services.
The VRC this week also called for tenders to dredge an area to the bay’s north toward the end of Lascelles Wharf and Refinery Pier Berth Number 4 in a project worth almost $10 million.
“It’s a shallow patch that never got dredged and it’s being done as a safety concern on our part,” Capt McGovern explained.
“If a very strong northerly’s blowing and a ship’s heading to Number 4 it could be blown onto the shallow bit. Tugs might not cope because it’s so shallow and could damage their props.”
The work is expected to undertaken around August, depending on the processing of tenders, Capt McGovern said.
