TWO record-breaking arrivals at Port Botany have set new records, with the heaviest and deepest ships arriving at the port recently.
Le Havre is the heaviest container ship to ever berth at Port Botany at 140,480 tonnes.
Previously reported in DCN, MSC Tokyo set a containership record at Port Botany and the nation as the ship with the deepest draught to berth in any Australian port at 15.1 metres.
State minister for transport David Elliott said an investment in under-keel clearance technology to support the pilotage of vessels safely in and out of the port was critical to the supply chain, the economy and the environment.
“The arrival of both these ships has been assisted by Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC) technology used by the port authority’s expert vessel traffic services team and marine pilots,” Mr Elliott said.
“It provides precision data in real time on the under-keel clearance required to berth the ships safely, factoring in complex information about the ship’s displacement, dynamic motion of the vessel and live weather conditions – all critical information utilised by the highly skilled marine teams.”
Port Authority of NSW CEO Philip Holliday said the benefits of investment in this technology were recognised by the industry with the port authority receiving a Highly Commended for Supply Chain Innovation and Technology at the recent DCN Australian Maritime & Shipping Industry awards in Sydney.
“This means more efficient shipping, allowing us to safely manage ships with deeper draughts, which means facilitating greater cargo capacity, without any need for significant infrastructure development and further minimising risks,” Mr Holliday said.
MSC Asya holds the previous records. The vessel was the heaviest, at 140,252 tonnes and deepest draught containership at 14.8 metres to enter any Australian port.
