DOCK workers may soon be able to forget about hauling on heavy ropes and chains. The gentle press of a button could soon be all it takes to keep a giant ship secured to the dockside.
The port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is getting ready to test an experimental system later this year which will use a series of strong electromagnets built into the quay to moor giant container ships. If it works, they say the system could save them around €5 million a year in labour costs, and speed ships’ average turnaround times by 40 minutes.
Mooring a…
