Three new computerized tankers on the Rhône for CFT

L’whitesthe Lombard and the Watery : three names of the winds of the south-east of France have been chosen by the Compagnie fluviale de transport (CFT, Sogestran group) for his or her three new self-propelled vessels introduced on the 23 Could, to sail within the Rhône valley.

So Le Havre’s river and ocean ship proprietor continues the custom of naming his tankers after names of winds. Nonetheless, it breaks with one other observe: using push convoys, used extensively by the CFT within the Seine basin and, till now, within the Rhône basin.
Restore. The three new computerized planes measure 110 m lengthy for 11.4 m broad and every has a capability of three 600 m³ storage. Beforehand crusing on the Rhine basin, after being constructed within the Netherlands by the Sogestran group, they did preliminary work on website on the Asto shipyard in Raamsdonksveer (North Brabant).
They had been then transported to Fos-sur-Mer by semi-submersible, after which arrived at Loire-sur-Rhône (between Lyon and Vienne), the headquarters of the CFT’s Rhone operations which accomplished their restoration there .
Gas and methanol. Devoted to prospects or particular merchandise for long-term contracts, the three computerized tankers sail between Lyon and Marseille, carrying gasoline, biofuel, gasoline bases and methanol.
Help from PAMI and Plan 5Rhône. “The investments in these three automated plane are the results of the relationships of belief now we have with our prospects”named Mathieu Blanc, through the christening of the three self-propelled autos that befell on the 23 Could in Loire-sur-Rhône.
The director of the river sector of the Sogestran group additionally recalled on this event the help of Voies navigables de France (VNF) and the Compagnie nationale du Rhône (CNR), by the ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ 5Rhône plan for the opposite.
Groups from completely different backgrounds. The time it took to revive the automated autos has allowed the groups to take action “Get to know the brand new unit and its documentation, do exams and workout routines, redo the label to determine all orderss, celebrating Charles Drouet, director of CFT Rhône. Within the context of a occupation below strain, we’re happy to have succeeded in forming three groups from completely different backgrounds: some sailors have beforehand sailed on carrier-ship convoys, others on liquid pusher-barge convoys and others on passenger transport. The sense of belonging and satisfaction is already very robust, as every workforce takes possession of and cares for his or her self-driving automotive.”
“Greatest” upkeep. The Sogestran group explains that they like autonomous autos fairly than guided convoys with better involvement of the sailors within the upkeep of the ship, at all times the identical, on board they’re to remain
“Because the groups have extra duty on an autonomous car devoted to them, upkeep and maintenance are in optimum working circumstances.”
An extended custom of pushing. There are additionally different causes behind using self-propelled autos fairly than the pusher barge unit, which has been most popular by the Normandy shipowner till now. The Sogestran group, created in 1948, launched its first push convoys to move oil on the Seine in 1961.
Pushing was then prolonged to the Rhône as quickly because the proprietor of the ship reached this basin in 1975. Crushed barges had been additionally used to move coal on the Loire from 1983 or vessels on the Seine since 1994.
Vitality effectivity for autonomous autos. The return to computerized boats is outlined right this moment by analysis for vitality effectivity, but additionally for an financial mannequin based mostly on boats devoted to particular prospects, explains the Le Havre group.
“These three new autonomous autos mirror a basic shift at CFT: the transition from the pusher-barge mannequin to an autonomous mannequin, outlined by the evolution of the Firm’s business mannequin and the environmental necessities of the autonomous car essentially extra energy-efficient propulsion: the form of the hull and the scale of the engines make it doable to considerably cut back gasoline consumption (a discount of 20 % famous). “