Four more RTGs

 PSA Halifax has now received the second batch of new Rubber Tired Gantries (RTGs) from Konecranes of Finland. The first four arrived May 2 [qv] on the Sampogracht and the second four were unloaded today, May 26, from the Singelgracht at Pier 41.

All eight of the new RTGs together. They are painted green to indicate that they are electric powered while the nine existing diesel powered RTGs are orange coloured.

 The delivery ship is one of the now familiar Spliethoff "S class". The 16,641 gt, 21,402 dwt ship has side loading doors with five elevators and three cranes of 120 tonne capacity to handle a wide range of cargoes. It has a container capacity of 1134. Built in 2000 by Mitsubishi, Shimonoseki, it is one of eleven similar ships in the Spliethoff fleet. Sister ship Schippersgracht delivered  one RTG in Februrary 2018 and Spuigracht delivered two RTGs in February 2020. 

 At Pier 41 today after offloading the new RTGs. Several of the exiting units are parked nearby.

The Singelgracht was last here in 2023 when it was towed in by the Siem Commander and remained in port until late February for repairs.

On this trip it called in Mantyluoto, Finland May 3 to 6, Kotka, Finland May 5 to 7, Gdansk, Poland May 9 to 12 and Goteborg, Sweden May 14-16. Judging from the ship's draft it is likely that it is carrying other cargo too.

The ship was also in Halifax in February 2106 for bunkers, and posed for a photo in bright sunshine.

What at first appear to be containers on deck are in fact the housings for the sideloading equipment and elevators.

New RTGs for PSA

 In March 2023 the container terminal operators, PSA Halifax, announced the purchase of eight new Rubber Tired Gantries (RTGs) for the South End Container Terminal known as PSA Atlantic Gateway. (PSA also operates the Fairview Cove container terminal.) The new RTGs were scheduled for delivery from builders Konecranes of Finland in the second quarter of 2024.

Today the first four units arrived on the Dutch flagged Sampogracht, indirectly from Rauma, Finland.

The new RTGs, appropriately enough are painted green because they are electrically powered, unlike the nine currently operating orange coloured units that are diesel powered.

 The Sampogracht, part of the Spliethoff fleet, is a 18,321 gt, 23,471 dwt multi-purpose ship that carries three 120 tonne SWL cranes, has box shaped, ventilated holds, removable tween decks and has a capacity of 1273 TEU. It also has sideload doors. It was built in 2005 by Szczecinska Nowa in Poland. On this voyage from Finland, the ship stopped in Jacksonville, FL.

 PSA is in the midst of a major expansion program at the South End Terminal, which included the delivery of new container cranes late last year. New rail sidings are in the works within the terminal, and the extension to the north is underway. 

The new RTGs are numbered 81, 82, 83 and 84.

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Sampogracht and scrubbing

The Spliethoff multi-purpose carrier Sampogracht made a brief call at Fairveiw Cove this morning and sailed before noon, heading for Rotterdam.

One of the S2L class ships in the fleet, the 18,321 gt, 23,688 dwt vessel is equipped with three 120 tonne cranes. It is able to protect forest products while loading, using its three side doors, which swing up as awnings. It can carry containers too, which appears to be the case on this trip, with some spent uranium cask containers (likely empty) on the deck forward.

On leaving the Cerescorp terminal in Fairview Cove the ship made a wide turn out into Bedford Basin awaiting the inbound YM Modesty to clear the Narrows. 

Once the container ship had turned around the Seaview Point buoy Sampogracht made its way outbound.

Spliethoff converted all their "S" class ships with Alfa Laval Pure SOx exhaust gas scrubbers. It was quite a task to fit them to an existing ship, and it was necessary to build a new enclosure adjacent to the superstructure on the starboard side. A large takeoff pipe from the funnel leads to the scrubber casing and filtered exhaust emanates from the new stack on top. .

Ship owners are not usually too concerned about aesthetics, but Spliethoff decided to reduce the visual impact of the added casing by painting on false windows. The black fakes are the same size as the real windows and only on close inspection are they revealed to be imposters.

Other scrubber fittings, such as on the Irving Oil tankers and the Nolhan Ava were more difficult to conceal.
 

  The cement carrier NACC Quebec, which arrived earllier this week also has a scrubber, but it appear whether it is concealed in its odd looking funnel is uncertain..

 Some ships even have the scrubbers exposed, such as CSL's Spruceglen.

Scrubbers installed when ships are built are almost impossible to detect, except by their vapour plume.

In very cold or very humid conditions, the water vapour dissipates very slowly and remains visible after the ship has passed. The Algoma managed G3 Marquis shown above leaves a trail at least as long as the ship if not longer.

Scrubbers essentially wash the exhaust gas with water. Depending on the salinity of the water it will neutralize Sulphur Dioxide or Nitrous Oxide (SOx and NOx). In fresh water or areas of low salt content, caustic soda is added to the wash water.
With some scrubbers, called open loop, the wash water is released back into environment. This process has been banned in some areas, notably China, over concerns that dilution is not sufficient treatment.
Closed loop scrubbers collect the waste with ceramic or other filters and store it for disposal in port. So far no re-use has been determined for this waste.

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