Napier Port moves ahead with log grab innovation

The log-grab at work in the hold of a ship at the port last week. Photo / Supplied

New custom-designed log grabs have been used for the first time at Napier Port with the dual hopes of improving operational efficiency and safety.

Senior crane operators loaded logs onto the Norse Mobile bulk cargo vessel using the new method designed and built for use on the port's existing mobile harbour cranes.

Introducing log grab infrastructure to port operations reduces the need to rely on a ship's own smaller cranes to load logs and will also allow Napier to welcome log vessels that don't have cranes at all.

Chief executive Todd Dawson, who was on board the Norse Mobile to observe the initial trial, said the new log grabs are a significant safety improvement for log loading operations on-port and are set to enable operational efficiencies with an increased throughput of logs.

"Not only is it a boost in productivity for vessels calling to Napier, loading logs on to charter vessels also represents a new service offering and revenue stream to Napier Port," he said.

Alongside the port's new log-debarking facility and other infrastructure projects "in the pipeline", he said the company continues developing and investing in efficient cargo solutions for customers.

The port's bulk cargo and crane teams have worked closely over the last 18 months with Mount Maunganui company Page Macrae Engineering to develop the prototype log grabs to suit the specific operational requirements at the port.

The port company had also worked collaboratively with stevedoring tenant C3 to develop, plan and carry out the trial, and feedback on the ground had been "fantastic" and the port is looking forward fine-tuning the new operation going.