Cotonou: accessibility of 320 m vessels: Sub report 1. Review and expert judgement
Eloot, K.; Verwilligen, J. (2025). Cotonou: accessibility of 320 m vessels: Sub report 1. Review and expert judgement. Version 4.0. FH reports, 25_074_1. Flanders Hydraulics: Antwerp. IX, 32 + 2 p. app. pp.
Deel van: FH reports. Flanders Hydraulics: Antwerp. , meer
Accessibility Harbours and waterways > Manoeuvring behaviour > Open water Harbours and waterways > Ship motion > Fairway and harbour design Literature data / expert judgement
This report contains the review of three documents provided by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Brabo Academy on the accessibility of the port of Cotonou for larger containerships (347 m of length, 43 m of beam) than the 300 m vessels actually accepted. To support or reformulate this accessibility evaluation, Flanders Hydraulics has compared the outcomes of studies for the port of Lomé and the port of San Pedro with the results documented by Brabo Academy. The evaluation is based on the comparison of the environmental conditions, the bathymetric survey of which actual information in 2025 is lacking, and the expected hydrodynamic forces that will be of importance in the considered channel, port entrance and swinging area. Design parameters for the width of the outer channel (bend and straight section) and port entrance are formulated for a vessel of 320 m by 43 m and for a vessel of 350 m by 43 m. Also for the swinging area the diameter or maximum swinging length are defined with a minimum ratio of 1.25 times the ship length. The conclusions are that an increase of the maximum ship length from 300 m to 320 m is possible if based on the bathymetric survey the required dimensions of channel and swinging area are verified. It is advised to perform field tests to validate the accessibility of a 320 m container ship. After acceptance of the increase of the maximum ship length to 320 m, the additional increase to 350 m can be considered on the condition that the widths and diameter of the swinging area are further adapted.
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