Page 20: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (May 2024)

DEEP SEA MINING

Of these four tasks, the receipt of nodules, transport of fuel, pre-determined mining pattern and cannot and the transfer of personnel raise several challenges, partic- “weather-vane”.

ularly around Standards and Regulations. These impact the • Likely necessitates the use of slurry transfer ability to ensure the vessels and operations, and consequently via hose, with signi? cant issues (see below).

impact ? nancing of the project or company. • STARS must still come alongside for refueling

The nuances and complexities of these tasks are outlined and replenishment.

below.

¦Side-by-Side (Alongside) Of? oading: STARS maneu-

Ship-to-Ship Transfers vers alongside the PSV, lines go across, STARS is secured

There are several options for transferring nodules from the alongside the PSV on Yokohama type fenders. Nodule trans- hold of the PSV to the STARS, including wet or dry transfer, fer is made from the side of one vessel to the other.

via hose or conveyor, and with the vessels alongside or astern ? Pros: of each other. Each of these options has a several advantages • Allows for simultaneous cargo loading, and disadvantages: replenishment, refueling and crew-change.

• Greater range of nodule transfer options, ¦Tandem (Line Astern) Of? oading: STARS maneuvers including dry/conveyor.

to hold position astern of the PSV, and nodule transfer is made • PSV may continue mining while of? oading.

from the stern of the PSV to the bow of the STARS. ? Cons: ? Pros: • Greater risk of collision than tandem • Weather window is greater, increasing of? oading method.

operational uptime. • Weather window may limit side-by-side mooring.

• May not require vessels with Dynamic • More training and effort required from crews.

Positioning (DP) • May interfere with Harvester Launch and ? Cons: Recovery Systems (LARS) or ROV umbilicals.

• STARS must constantly maneuver to hold position if the PSV is actively In each case, the ship-to-ship transfer of dry mining, as the PSV must follow a goods requires coordinated maneuvering of an

Source: AI generated in ChatGPT by the Author

MR #5 (18-33).indd 20 5/3/2024 8:29:05 AM