Technology developed by an Australian company is allowing for greater efficiencies and safer shipping in ports around the world and following a successful trial, the port of Port Kembla has  implemented a new under keel clearance management system known as DUKC

Dynamic Under Keel Clearance (DUKC) is a model for use at ports to allow optimum sailings of very large vessels and carriage of cargo due to channel depth constraints. In essence it is a system for determining the “windows” of when a deep draught vessel can enter and leave a port, based upon real time weather conditions such as wave height, tide, current and vessel characteristics.

The software determines the minimum safe clearance between the ship’s keel and the seabed from harbour berth to deep water (and vice versa).

The main benefit of this system is that it introduces a science to aid the pilot’s decision making process.

As well as ensuring the safety of ships transiting the port, it can also lead to improvements in maximising trade throughput by allowing greater loads to be carried, or deeper ships to visit the port thus increasing the competitiveness of the port and assisting importers and exporters to minimise their costs.

During the Port Kembla trial, the DUKC system showed that it would markedly enhance safety, particularly during the winter months.

Bluescope Steel and the Port Kembla Coal Terminal have also been involved in the trials as it would assist in maximising cargo throughput and minimise vessel queuing particularly for very large vessels.

The system has been installed in a number of ports around the world with Port Kembla being the first port in NSW to introduce such a system. On average, ten  large deep draughted vessels transit under DUKC assistance every day.

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