Peru LNG retained Baird and RDWI Air Inc. to improve the forecasting of waves, wind, and berth availability of their LNG export terminal. Baird’s solution comprised a new forecasting system that explicitly predicts the moored ship motions and mooring forces over a two-week forecast horizon.

Project Highlights

The Peru LNG terminal has been subject to downtime due to the influence of wave-induced motions of the vessels at berth. Historically, the terminal relied only on wave height thresholds at the berth to determine whether the vessel could be moored safely. Baird developed an improved forecasting system for the terminal including: tide predictions, wind forecasts based on NOAA global wind forecast data and local downscaled wind field modelling, wave forecasts based on global and local wave modelling, and moored ship response forecasts based on simulation of ship motions due to waves and wind.

The forecasting system is used by the terminal operator as a planning tool to directly assess periods during which the ship’s manifold motions and mooring line forces are within acceptable limits. The tool has led to improvements for port operations, making the port safer as well as opening windows for operation that would otherwise be excluded.