Client:
Fortescue
Location:
Anderson Point
Client Objectives:
Fortescue operates three bulk material ship loaders serving five berths at its Anderson Point port facility in Western Australia. Loading operations are complex tasks that involve the movement and distribution of over 200,000 tonnes of iron ore into a ship’s hold. Port Hedland Harbour experiences extreme weather patterns (wind, waves, tides, and currents) that, together with the loading of bulk material, greatly affect the dynamics and, therefore, the overall position of the vessel, irrespective of mooring.
To ensure safe and efficient loading operations, Fortescue required a system that could reliably and accurately monitor and report any movement away from the vessel’s original berthing location, so that, if any movement is detected, corrective action can be taken prior to the loss or release of mooring lines.
BEC Scope:
BEC Engineering installed and commissioned its first berth monitoring system in 2024. The berth monitoring system uses an array of LiDAR units located on the wharf to monitor the position of a vessel’s bow, midships, and stern throughout the entirety of the vessel’s berthing and loading operations. Any relative changes are continually reported to the process control system.
Challenges:
The LiDAR constellations operate in a completely uncontrolled environment with an optical path that can be influenced by harsh morning glare, fog, rain, high dust loads and a wide range of target reflectivities. All LiDARs must operate under any or all of these conditions, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The target vessel’s final berth location is similarly uncontrolled, so the system must accommodate variable vessel location and geometry to monitor the integrity of the berthing system and ensure the vessel’s safety.
Outcome:
The berth monitoring system has been installed and commissioned, and is currently utilised in an operational role by the client. Feedback has been very positive, with orders received for replica system implementations across the remaining berths at Anderson Point.
