(With video) A new container handling system, aimed at easing the increasing problem of port congestion, is about to be introduced. Designated “Blok-Beam”, the system enables six containers to be lifted and transported as one single block – largely using existing port infrastructure.
The launch of the new system takes place at a technical demonstration in Shanghai at the end of November.
Saving Time and Cost
According to John Evans, Managing Director of Blok-Beam Ltd: 'Now that ships are able to deliver around 20,000 20ft containers on one vessel – and the cranes to service them can lift up to 100 tonnes at a time – it is the ports which, in spite of their improved efficiency, have become the focus of attention in ship-to-shore movement.'
Evans notes that ports handle over 500 million containers annually, of which as many as 25 per cent are empty. With container terminals charging up to USD 300 per lift, the potential savings to the industry are massive. Evans continues: 'We estimate that if only one-third of empty moves of containers are handled by Blok-Beam, the industry would save over USD 2 billion per year – before even considering the vast expense of idle time, fuel savings, general efficiency, losses at sea and safety.
Increased Safety
Safety is indeed a big issue at sea, on deck, and on the quayside. Individual containers can be linked for lifting as a tandem vertical lift, but being so high, they risk being unstable and can topple over on quayside or deck. At the recent ICHCA Ship-Port Interface Seminar in London, one presentation indicated that even worse can happen at sea – where the stacks can go up to 10 high and thousands of containers are lost overboard or damaged each year.
Because Blok-Beams tie stack together and wind loading is reduced, container stacks stay in place in angles of up to 55 degrees, where loose stacks can topple over when the ship moves by 30 degrees.
Watch a video of the Blok-Beam system below.
