Aiming to increase throughput capacity from 0.8 to 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units per year, the Terminal des Flandres sought to evaluate the feasibility of various potential operating modes.
Moffatt & Nichol was engaged to support decision making and planning to densify the terminal’s existing yard. The project was divided in two stages, focusing first on operations, then feasibility.
The first stage of the study involved identifying and selecting the best operating mode for the facility, currently operated with reach stackers. The study considered technical and operational risks, target throughput at full development, smoothness of transition from one mode to another, and implementation phasing. Possible options were compared to assess Opex and Capex costs, emissions, and implementation schedules. Moffatt & Nichol assisted the client in arriving at its decision that the most preferable and adaptable operation mode for TdF was deemed to be the perpendicular automatic stacking crane/freerider layout.
Once the new terminal layout had been conceptualised, Moffatt & Nichol assessed the technical and economic feasibility of the new operation mode for the second stage of the study. The team assessed various terminal concept layout variants, considering productivities and related numbers of handling equipment, based on flow analysis. An investment budget was developed, which considered required studies and surveys, civil works, handling equipment, and IT equipment and software. Moffatt & Nichol also undertook a risk assessment and created an overall project schedule for the different stages of development, including investment phasing.
