Royal HaskoningDHV improves vessel safety for Belfast Harbour with Twinn software

Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland’s principle maritime gateway, implements Royal HaskoningDHV’s innovative Twinn Smart Mooring software to help safeguard vessels at berth. With the large number of bulk vessels, ferries and cruise ships calling at Belfast, combined with heavier and more frequent storms due to climate change and the extended cruise season, the Port Authority has a greater challenge to ensure improved safety of moored ships. Royal HaskoningDHV’s digital solution uses real-time data and metocean forecasts to predict unsafe situations for moored ships and helps to prevent accidents in the Port. 

“With Smart Mooring, we can immediately see where and when we could have a potential problem with moored ships – and take appropriate mitigating action. This software plays a key role in helping us to protect against bollard overloading and failure due to excessive forces imparted by large cruise ships and additionally providing coverage for other critical and at-risk berths,” said Kevin Allen, Harbour Master at Belfast Harbour.

By alerting port operators about mooring line forces and ship motions in advance, the software solution helps to determine safe mooring for critical vessels during storms and assess safe mooring periods for vessels arriving to Belfast. As a result, the software provides sufficient risk mitigation to avoid the need and expense of installing temporary storm bollards at the wind-sensitive wharf quays.

"It’s fascinating, because until you engage with technology, you don't know how better informed your decisions could be. This software provides an opportunity to mitigate risks and maintain operational efficiency with support from a digital solution, rather than investing in additional quay furniture and very much aligns with our Smart Port Strategy. For example, Smart Mooring will play a key role in helping us to protect against bollard overloading and line failures, further improving safety in the Port. With a record-breaking cruise season upcoming the insights provided by Smart Mooring will help support safe and efficient management of these large wind-sensitive vessels at berth,” said Kevin Allen, Harbour Master at Belfast Harbour.

“Belfast Harbour is one of the UK’s most important seaports. With a range of vessels of different classes across the berths, safety is paramount. Implementation of Smart Mooring provides the Port with actionable insight to increase operational safety while supporting their long-term ‘Smart Port’ objectives,” said Bas van Son, Twinn`s Head of Maritime and Logistics at Royal HaskoningDHV. 

This agreement with Belfast Harbour is the latest example of Royal HaskoningDHV’s Twinn digital solutions supporting ports, terminal operators and logistics companies to make more informed decisions that boost safety, increase operational uptime and drive digitalisation.