Project: Innovative bollard to improve the mooring of ships

Project leader

The Port Authority of Tarragona was responsible for this project.

Project description

The Port of Tarragona has installed an innovative underground bollard to improve the mooring of ships at the Cantabria quay. This innovation responds to the need to improve mooring in the area of the Ro-Ro ramp used by the FastFerry that connects the Port of Tarragona with Turkey on a weekly basis, but it can also be used for Car-Carriers that require it. This solution, promoted by the technicians of the Port of Tarragona, allows the deck of the bollard to be raised whenever its use is necessary and to be invisible when it is not needed. This bollard makes it possible to moor the ropes through the stern to improve berthing in windy conditions on ships with a significant amount of dead work (part of the ship above the waterline).

Project objective

In addition to increasing berthing safety, the aim of this innovation is to make the space on the quay compatible with other operations when the Ro-Ro ship is not berthed. This initiative is part of the customer-oriented service that the Port of Tarragona offers in order to attract new traffic to its quays.

Expected benefits of innovation

The expected benefits of the implementation of this new bollard are:

Increasing safety when berthing in strong wind conditions.
Attracting new traffic to the quays of the Port of Tarragona.
To be able to make the quay space compatible with other operations when the Ro-Ro ship is not berthed.