---

Cavotec, an engineering group based in Lugano, Switzerland, has won an order for an electric hybrid passenger ferry application at Parainen and Nauvo berths (one unit at each berth) in south-west Finland.

Cavotec is to manufacture, install and commission a combined MoorMaster and battery charging system which integrates MoorMaster to moor the ferry; Cavotec's Alternative Maritime Power (AMP); cable management systems to connect the ferry to electrical power; and the group's Automatic Plug-in System (APS). APS automates, via cable reels, the connection of cranes, ships and other mobile equipment.

Benny Tornroos, Managing Director of Cavotec Finland explained: "APS enables the fully automated connection of electrical power to the vessel at the touch of a button, and MoorMaster holds the ferry in position allowing the captain to switch off its thrusters while the ferry is loaded and unloaded."

In common with an installation in Norway that already uses the system, the Finnish system will utilise MoorMaster units to signal to the AMP units when the ship is securely moored, after which laser sensors guide the AMP connector to a hatch in the side of the vessel where it connects to the ship's battery unit to begin charging.

The electric hybrid ferry, operated by FinFerries, will be able to carry up to 90 cars. It is due to enter service in the summer of 2017. The vessel will make short crossings 24 hours a day throughout the year and in all weather conditions.

Cavotec also reports that at-sea demonstrations of the US Navy's Advanced Mooring System (AMS) for ship-to-ship operations have been completed.

The at-sea demonstrations were conducted at California's Coronado Naval Base. During demonstrations, a total of 50 mooring operations were completed over several days. Tests were also performed in the presence of a number of guests, including representatives from the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and the Office of Naval Research.

Employing MoorMaster to control vessel movement and eliminate the need for conventional mooring lines allows the US Navy's Advanced Mooring System to typically deploy and detach in less than 30 seconds. In the past, MoorMaster units were mounted on the quay face or berth surface or built into lock walls. The Advanced Mooring System is the first version of MoorMaster specifically designed for use at sea and for ship-to-ship operations.

Commenting on the developments, Ottonel Popesco, CEO of Cavotec, said: "These latest breakthroughs for MoorMaster are important milestones for the Cavotec Group. Crucially, they highlight this unique technology's growing acceptance by the market."

In recent months, Cavotec has also reported MoorMaster orders for the US side of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Locks on the Canadian side of the seaway are already being fitted with the system. The first order for MoorMaster in the UK has also been received.