Maio is a small island in the Cape Verde archipelago. The permanent residence for 6,000 people, the islands are also a well-known travel destination whose economy depends heavily on this tourism. The Port of Maio is part of a strategic transport corridor in Africa, which is why the modernization of its infrastructure is co-financed by the European Union, the African Development Bank and the local government.
This modernization project started in 2019 and consisted of the rehabilitation of the jetty and the construction of a Ro-Ro platform. Our ShibataFenderTeam colleagues in Spain worked closely with a consortium formed by SETH, Teixeira Duarte and Armando Cunha to provide 46 fender systems and 31 bollards to our end client ENAPOR, Port Authority of Cape Verde. The SFT delivery included 23 set of SPC Cone Fenders Systems (G2.7), 15 V Fenders Systems of various sizes (1,000-by-1,500 mm) and 600-by-3,000 mm) and eight Corner V Fender Systems (290-by-750 mm). The project scope also included the supply of 31 T-Head Bollards with different load ratings (30 tons and 15 tons).
The fender solution considered all project conditions, which means the port’s exposure to heavy waves and varying water levels but also the new Ro-Ro platform design. SFT’s engineering team worked together with the client to transform the original cone fender design into a V Fender System – with inclined chamfers – to provide sufficient clearance between the Ro-Ro vessel’s ramp and the fenders. Taking into consideration all aspects that affect the performance of fenders, from project conditions to the fender system’s components and their interaction, this is again a truly holistic approach to fender system design—a strength of SFT.
When the manufacturing and transport to the Port was finished, our Sales Team visited the site and assisted during the installation process, extending a truly customized solution—engineering, production, and service—to our client. ShibataFenderTeam is happy to have contributed to the protection of the operations in this project that will drive the economy and boost trade in Cape Verde.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue I, 2023
