maritime : Two-tide loading tested in Rouen

Increasing ship loading capacity 

The bulk carrier KAVO ALKYON left Rouen's grain terminals at high tide and made a strategic stop at the Radicatel waiting berth. By taking advantage of the next high tide, the ship was able to reach the open sea in optimum conditions to reach its final destination: Jordan.

Scheduling a descent over two tides means allows Panamax bulk carriers (225 m long and with a draught of up to 14 m) to leave the channel at the most favourable time of the tide, increasing the ship's draught by 30 to 50 centimetres depending on the tidal range. The cargo can be increased by several thousand tonnes and the ship is at its optimum loading capacity, which can avoid or limit the need to top up at another port. 

A lever for port competitiveness 

This experiment, carried out by HAROPA PORT in partnership with Groupe BZ and with the assistance of port services (pilotage, towage and boatage), could improve – in the future, become standard practice, enabling the largest cereal vessels accessing the port of Rouen (Panamax, Supramax) to load larger volumes than they would be able to during a conventional descent of the channel. 

One way of strengthening the competitiveness of the port's cereal exports.