TANBREEZ Project - Naalakkersuisut/media/Nanoq/Files... · • Two open pit mines - The Feasibility Study (FS) is based on the annual treatment of 500,000 tons of ore to produce 100,000

TANBREEZ Project

Navigational Safety Investigation REP0019, rev. 3

MT Højgaard Grønland ApS c/o MT Højgaard A/S Knud Højgaards Vej 9 DK-2860 Søborg Tel +45 7012 2400 Fax +45 7013 2421 [email protected] www.mth.dk Reg. no. 16 17 15 30

TANBREEZ Project Navigational Safety Investigation

FINAL

August 2013

Project no.: MTH 5302-791261

Document: REP0019 - Navigational Safety Investigation, rev. 3.docx

Date: August 2013

Revision: Rev. 3

Prepared by: KAKU

Reviewed by: NPB

Approved by: Rimbal

File: REP0019 - Navigational Safety Investigation, rev. 3.docx


August 2013 Revision: Rev. 3 791261/KAKU

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Action list

Action Tentative dates

Approval of vessels working for the TANBREEZ Project

4 to 5 months prior to operation – mid 2015

Multi-beam survey in Kangerluarsuk Fjord

During construction period 2014

Detail design of existing power cable crossing the fjord


Investigation of meteorological condi-tions


Plan for passenger voyages to the TANBREEZ Project

4 to 5 months prior to operation – mid 2015




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Table of Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................6

1.1 Terms and abbreviations ............................................................. 6

2 Project background .................................................................8

2.1 Location .................................................................................... 8

2.2 History ...................................................................................... 8

2.3 Area conditions .......................................................................... 9

2.4 Project overview including infrastructure ..................................... 10

2.5 Operational information ............................................................. 12

2.6 Ship traffic ............................................................................... 14

2.7 Bathymetric surveys ................................................................. 14

2.8 New navigational charts ............................................................ 18

3 Choice of route, hydrographical survey and charts ................ 19

3.1 Proposed sailing route ............................................................... 19

3.2 Alternative sailing route ............................................................. 19

3.3 General observations for both sailing routes ................................. 19

3.4 Kangerluarsuk Fjord route ......................................................... 20

3.5 Tugboat and transportation of personnel to Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) and Narsaq .............................................................................. 25

3.6 Port of call and safety of navigation ............................................ 26

4 Ice conditions ........................................................................ 27

5 Meteorological and oceanographic conditions ....................... 29

6 Ship and crew ........................................................................ 30

6.1 Voyage planning ....................................................................... 30

6.2 Requirements according to IMO .................................................. 30




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6.2.1 Ships' stability in damaged condition ............................... 30

6.2.2 Special design requirements for ships .............................. 31

6.2.3 Special arctic equipment ................................................ 31

6.2.4 Electronic navigation aids ............................................... 31

7 Ports, places of call, anchorages etc. ..................................... 32

7.1 Neighbouring ports ................................................................... 32

7.2 TANBREEZ port ........................................................................ 32

7.2.1 Pier and dolphins .......................................................... 32

7.3 Safety equipment ..................................................................... 35

7.4 Manoeuvring area ..................................................................... 36

Operation in the port area ......................................................... 36

Operation in hazardous weather conditions .................................. 36

7.5 Sediment transportation ............................................................ 36

8 Emergency preparedness and risk-reducing measures .......... 37

9 Assessment of possible environmental effects ...................... 39

10 Conclusion and account ......................................................... 40

11 Further investigations ........................................................... 41

12 List of references ................................................................... 42

13 List of appendices .................................................................. 43




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1 Introduction

As part of the Feasibility Study for the TANBREEZ Project - and as required by the Danish Maritime Authority, Guidelines of 10 January 2011 - a navigational safety investigation has been undertaken. This report has been prepared to show that navigation can be carried in a safe manner.

1.1 Terms and abbreviations

The following terms and abbreviations have been used in the Navigational Safety Investigation report:

BIC Baffin Island current

BRT (see GRT)

DMA Danish Maritime Authority

DMI Danish Meteorological Institute

DWT Dead weight tonnage

EIA Environmental impact assessment

FS Feasibility study

GPS Global positioning system

GRT Gross register ton

HAT Highest astronomical tide

IHO International Hydrographic Organization

IMO International Maritime Organization

IMR Inspection, maintenance and repair

KMS The National Survey and Cadastre

kts knots

LAT Lowest astronomical tide

m3 Cubic metres

MBL Minimum breaking load

MRCC Maritime rescue coordination centre




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MSL Mean sea level

nm Nautical miles

PC6/7 Polar class 6/7

RAL Royal Arctic Line

RCC Rescue coordination centre

Rimbal Rimbal Party Ltd

ROM Run of mine

ROV Remotely operated vehicles

SAR Search and rescue

SRR Søndrestrøm search and rescue region

WGC West Greenland current




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2 Project background

2.1 Location

The project is located in Killavaat Alannguat (Kringlerne) in South Greenland in the bottom of the Kangerluarsak Fjord between Narsaq and Qaqortoq (Juliane-håb) in an area bounded by latitudes 60º 51' N and 60º 54' N and longitudes 45º 48' W and 45º 52' W.

Figure 1, South Greenland - project location

2.2 History

The project area has been explored since 1986 by a number of companies. Un-til 1991, at least 2,500 m were drilled (60 holes) and 70 tons of ore were bulk sampled for further studies.

Environmental investigations were initiated, and ore and tailings were studied.

In 2001 Rimbal Pty Ltd (Rimbal) acquired the license and has up, until 2007, completed e.g. channel chip sampling, preliminary physical and chemical test-ing of samples, literature collation and limited product marketing research.

Since 2007 Rimbal has carried out a new drilling program as well as social and environmental baseline studies.

In 2010 a Feasibility Study was prepared for the project.

TANBREEZ Project




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2.3 Area conditions

The TANBREEZ Project is located in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord. The mine area is located on the south-eastern side of the fjord, and port and process facilities will be located on the south-eastern shore line at the bottom of the fjord.

The fjord is mostly surrounded by mountains with steep sides, and the mouth of the river Lakseelv is located at the bottom of the fjord.

Figure 2, Project area

Narsaq

TANBREEZ Project

Qaqortoq




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Overhead power cables cross the fjord approximately halfway in. The cables run from the hydropower plant located south-east of the TANBREEZ Project to neighbouring towns. The power cables run from the southern to the northern shore of the fjord and cross over two small islands.

See Appendix A, "Cross section, overhead power cable".

The closest towns to the TANBREEZ Project are Qaqortoq 20 km in a south-western direction and Narsaq 12 km to the north-east.

Qaqortoq is the forth-largest town in Greenland, with 3,300 inhabitants. Narsaq is also a relatively big town with 1,650 inhabitants. Both towns' economy is based primarily on the fishing industry and tourism.

For more information about existing port facilities in Qaqortoq and Narsaq see Section 7.

2.4 Project overview including infrastructure

The life time of the mine is 10 years; however, there is ore for generations in this region.

Figure 3, South Greenland - project location (see drawing J00-00-01, ref. /1/)




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The mining project consists of:

• Two open pit mines - The Feasibility Study (FS) is based on the annual treatment of 500,000 tons of ore to produce 100,000 tons of eudialyte con-centrate and 200,000 tons of feldspar.

• Processing facilities - Consisting of a crushing plant, grinding plant and size classification followed by magnetic separation (a process that utilises the minerals' different levels of attraction to magnetic fields), i.e. simple proc-esses where no chemicals are used.

To support the project, the following infrastructure is required:

• Storage facilities consisting of two buildings; one for feldspar and one for eudialyte. Each storage building will have an area of approx. 6,510 m2, i.e. 210x31 m.

• Port facilities with a single berth, consisting of a pier with ship loading facili-ties and two berthing/mooring dolphins connected by bridges.

The port is designed for vessels up to 70,000 DWT; in the FS, bulk carriers up to 57,000 DWT are assumed to load concentrate approx. six times per year during operations. Further, proper container ships, which are assumed to bring in containers with supplies for the plant, and minor vessels, which will bring petrol and fuel etc. to the plant every three months, will call into port. A harbour/coastal tug (ice classed) is permanently stationed at the port for assisting and manoeuvring the bulk carriers.

• Camp facilities consisting of two accommodation blocks and a centre build-ing, all in two storeys, and a one-storey laboratory building. The accommo-dation buildings are prefabricated modules connected to the centre building by one-storey corridors. The camp will accommodate 80 persons year round.

• A fuel supply system consisting of a bunkering system for refuelling, a tank farm and a distribution system. Fuel will be stored in two tanks, each with a capacity of 1,150 m3.

• Two haul roads and five service roads; the haul roads going from the proc-ess plant at port site to the two mining areas, and service roads going to Foster Lake, the explosives storage area, the run-of-mine (ROM) ore stor-age area and between heliport and pier.

• Other facilities like workshop, power plant etc.

A layout plan is included in Appendix B.




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2.5 Operational information

The project is scheduled to commence in 2014/2015.

In the construction phase all equipment and goods will be shipped from Aal-borg, Denmark, primarily and others ports to a storage/transhipment area in Narsaq or directly to site.

Transportation of goods will be carried out by Royal Arctic Line A/S (RAL) or similar companies.

Transportation between the storage area in Narsaq and site will be by tug, boat or service vessel.

Mining operations are scheduled to begin in 2016/2017.

Ore will be mined all year round, and shipping of the concentrate will be from mid June to mid April, i.e. approx. nine months.

Bulk carriers

As previously mentioned, a bulk carrier of 57,000 DWT for both feldspar and eudialyte has been assumed in the FS.

A shipping schedule will be agreed upon, e.g. four ships per year at an interval of three months for feldspar, and two ships per year at an interval of six months for eudialyte.

The destination port for eudialyte will be in Northern Europe, e.g. Rotterdam, and for feldspar in Southern Europe, e.g. Piraeus. This means that vessels will carry either eudialyte or feldspar, and never both concentrates at the same time.

The shipping period will be from mid June to mid April the following year. In the shipping period two types of vessels can be used. In periods close to the outer limits of the non-shipping window, concentrate transportation could be provided by ice-classed vessels (PC6 or PC7). In the rest of the shipping period (summer and autumn months), transportation of concentrate could be pro-vided by non ice-classed vessels. The type of the vessel will depend on the in-surance company and the ice conditions at the time.

All ships calling at the TANBREEZ port will have assistance in the form of in-formation about weather and ice conditions from Ice Patrol Narsarsuaq and DMI Ice Service Copenhagen.

See also Section 6 for more information about vessels.




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Tugboat

A tugboat will be available on site at all times. The tugboat will guide bulk car-rier through the fjord system, in potentially ice infested waters, and will assist in the berthing and deberthing manoeuvres at the port. The tugboat will have a bollard pull capacity of 40-60 tons. The tugboat might be equipped with two 20' containers so that it can be used for ordinary transportation and fuel trans-portation (approx. 60 m3 of fuel per trip). The tugboat will be ice-classed and have moderate icebreaking capabilities of up to one m.

Goods and fuel delivery

Fuel will be delivered directly on site by supply vessels from e.g. Polaroil. Po-laroil is supplying the towns along the west coast of Greenland with fuel, arctic gas etc. on a regular basis.

Delivery of overseas goods to the site will be carried out by a container vessel like M/S Naja Arctica from Royal Arctic Line or similar. Goods are delivered in 20' and 40' containers.

Transportation of manpower

Manpower will be transported directly to and from site by boat to/from Narsaq and Qaqortoq. This will be done by local boat charter companies from Narsaq and Qaqortoq respectively. The proposed type of the boat for transport of per-sons could be a small boat like a Targa 37 or similar.

The selected boat for passenger transport will be prepared for and have the re-quired equipment on board for sailing in ice-filled waters.

The charter boat will fulfil the rules laid out by the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) for personal transportation in Danish waters. The vessel will be fit to purpose and built and maintained to match existing rules.

The detailed voyage and passage plan for passenger vessels will be prepared at a later stage of the project. The plan will include hydrographical data, maritime safety information and Search and Rescue resources, as well as information on navigational aids.

Voyage planning

In the voyage and passage plan information about ice, the type of ice in the area and statistical information from the previous years, environmental condi-tions, and weather conditions will be included. The emergency plan with risk analysis will also be included in the voyage and passage plan.

During winter, when waters are covered by fast ice, crew changes will be exe-cuted by helicopter.




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All vessels engaged in the project will fulfil the requirements for sailing in icy waters as well as the rules for vessels sailing in Greenlandic waters.

Navigation will comply with the regulations of Order no. 417/2009 issued by DMA regarding ships' safety of navigation in Greenland territorial waters, ref. /2/, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO's) "Guidelines on voyage for passenger ships operating in remote areas", ref. /3/.

2.6 Ship traffic

An overview of the proposed cargo types and vessel traffic is shown below.

Type of transport Vessel type Trips per season (12 months)

Concentrate Bulk carrier, 57,000 DWT 6

Manoeuvring assist. Tug 6

Ice breaking Tug Weather depending

Fuel Tanker 4

Spares and misc. Container ship 12

Spares and misc. Tug and barge (if required) 12

Passengers Manpower transportation boat 105

Table 1, Vessel traffic and cargo

2.7 Bathymetric surveys

In connection with the general survey made in Greenland in 2005 and 2006 by the National Survey and Cadastre (KMS), a bathymetric survey has been un-dertaken in the Mato-løb, Skovfjord and Narsap Saava. The survey was carried out using multi-beam echo sounder.

In general, the water depths are measured to the -20 m contour line. Results of the investigation are shown in below figures.




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Figure 4, Bathymetric survey in the area of the Mato-løb

Figure 5, Bathymetric survey in the area of Skovfjord and Narsap Saava




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During the site investigation in 2010, bathymetric surveys were made in two areas in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord. The bathymetric investigations were carried out by use of single-beam echo sounder.

Figure 6, Areas of bathymetric surveys

The surveys were made in the area where overhead power cables cross the Kangerluarsuk Fjord.

The two areas marked in the above figure were chosen for investigations in re-lation to the Feasibility Study. The purpose of these surveys was to prove that there is a sufficient amount of water draft between the island (area 1) and the shore line and to investigate the area for the possible design port (area 2).




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Figure 7, Single-beam bathymetric survey in island/power cable area

Two channels with deep water are extending on both sides of the island.




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The second survey area was in the area of the planned port facilities. The wa-ter depth from the coast of the main land is steeply sloping down to -110 m at a distance of approx. 200 m. From the foot of the slope the area is quite flat and featureless with general water depths between 100 and 130 m.

Figure 8, Single beam bathymetric survey in port area

For more information see Appendix C, "Scansurvey Report of Survey", June 2010.

For more information about multi-beam surveys in the fjord area see Section 11.

2.8 New navigational charts

According to KMS new navigational charts will be published in 2016. All neces-sary charts, including electronic versions of the maps, will be purchased before the project becomes operational.

All nautical charts will be on site before operation starts.

The dialogue on nautical charts for the Kangerluarsuk Fjord will be postponed to a later stage of the project.




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3 Choice of route, hydrographical survey and charts

The sailing route to the TANBREEZ port is based on studies of nautical charts, and it has been evaluated by Western Bulk and TORM Shipping.

There are two possible routes from the open sea of Davis Strait to the TAN-BREEZ port.

Figure 9, Sailing routes

The blue line shows the proposed sailing route and the brown line shows the alternative route. The green line is common for both sailing routes.

3.1 Proposed sailing route

The route leads from the Labrador Sea through the north/north-eastern en-trance (between the Simiutaq islands) to the Skovfjord and then connects with the Kangerluarsuk Fjord.

3.2 Alternative sailing route

The route leads from the Labrador Sea through Ikersuaq Fjord (Bredefjord) to the Narsap Saava and to the Skovfjord where it connects with the Kangerluar-suk Fjord.

3.3 General observations for both sailing routes

Neither of the two sailing routes causes any particular concern. The only diffi-culty that might occur is floating ice from the Eqaloorutsit Kanqilliit Sermiat glacier or drifting multiyear ice from the Greenland Sea.




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3.4 Kangerluarsuk Fjord route

Sailing in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord may pose a few challenges:

A passage south from Akuliarutsip nunaa (shown in Figures 10 and 11) has a few obstacles along the waters channels. The distance between the shore lines is approx. 1,500 m, but at around 1/3 of the distance from Akuliarutsip nunaa the sea bed is rising up and creating 'underwater hills'. In this area, the water depth is from 21 to 31 m.

To help navigation in this area, a line of sight, for example, will be set up along the shore line.

In the next phase of the project a Navigational Aids Report will be prepared.

For more information see section 7.2.

Figure 10, Overall view of the sailing routes and narrow passage




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Figure 11, Nautical chart showing the narrow passage

Local measurement with boat eco-sounder has been made, indicating a depth of approx. 21 m. Measurements were made on 21 March 2010 at 14:00.

The bathymetric studies, Figure 4, show a passage area with a sufficient water depth.

Having analysed maps, bathymetric survey results and consulted with ship captains, the conclusion was that passing this area with the proposed bulk car-rier should not cause any problems.

This narrow passage is located under the power cable between the shore line and an island. The power cable crosses from south to north (when looking in the direction of the fjord bottom). The cable passes above two islands in the fjord. The suspended cable limits the sailing area, and the only possible places for a vessel to pass are between the shore line and the island or close to the is-land on the other side.




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Figure 12, Power cable crossing

See also Appendix A, "Cross section, overhead power cable".

During theoretical desktop studies of the cross section of the power cable drawing, we were able to assume the air draft under the power cable at the point of the two most essential positions of the cable (winter and summer). In the worst case scenario, there is approx. 74 m of air draft.

Figure 13, Power cable crossing – theoretical air draft




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During the inspection, the height of the overhead power cables was measured from the helicopter, both by handheld GPS Garmin 60 and by use of the heli-copter's instruments. Measurements were made in four positions:

Position/instrument Handheld GPS Helicopter instruments

Average

Coast line 109 m 103 m 106 m

First island 92 m 73 m 82 m

Between first and second island

74 m 41 m 57 m

Second island 56 m 36 m 46 m Table 2, Measurements of distance between power cable and water level




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Measurements were made at 15:40 on 22 March 2010, and the temperature was approx. 0-2o C.

Figure 14, View in north-eastern direction of the passage between land and island - including average height of power cables

The bathymetric survey in Figure 4 showed sufficient water depth. The air draft between the water surface and the cable is also sufficient for a ship to pass un-der, both on the right and left side of the island.

The plan is to investigate the properties of the power cable in more detail in the construction phase when supporting facilities like camp, boat and helicopter are available on site. These desktop studies will be supported by detail design for the cable.

Little island

106 m

Power cables

82 m




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3.5 Tugboat and transportation of personnel to Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) and Narsaq

Figure 15, Sailing routes

Figure 16, Sailing routes – Mato-løb




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The 'green line' alignment will be used for sailing with small vessels, transpor-tation of personnel or goods between the TANBREEZ port and local towns.

The sailing route to Qaqortoq is through the Kangerluarsuk Fjord, the Nuupiluk and Mato-løb to Julianehåb Fjord.

The sailing route to Narsaq is through the Kangerluarsuk Fjord and Skovfjord.

The route from Qaqortoq to Narsaq through the Mato-løb is used by local traffic between towns. Royal Arctic Line and Arctic Umiaq Line often navigate though these waters.

3.6 Port of call and safety of navigation

Port of call will be the TANBREEZ port. The Greenland Ice Service in Narsar-suaq (part of the Danish Meteorological Institute, DMI) will be able to assist with ice reports and weather information.

A communication system will be established in the TANBREEZ port so that ar-riving or departing vessels will be able to call the port.




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4 Ice conditions

The ice conditions between 60° N and 72° N are primarily determined by the relatively warm north or northwest flowing West Greenland Current (WGC) and the cold south flowing Baffin Island Current (BIC). The WGC delays the time of ice formation in eastern Davis Strait and results in an earlier break up. The BIC conveys large amounts of sea ice from Baffin Bay to the Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea for most of the year, especially during the winter and early spring months. During this period, sea ice normally covers most of the Davis Strait north of 65° N, except areas close to the Greenland coast, where a flaw lead (open water or thin ice) of varying width often appears between the shore or the fast ice and the drift ice offshore as far north as latitude 67° N. South of 65-67° N, sea ice free areas dominate throughout the year.

The TANBREEZ Project is located between latitude 60° N and 61° N.

Figure 17, Major North Atlantic currents

An ice study has been carried out on basis of ice observations collected by DMI Ice Service in Narsarsuaq and analyses of satellite photos.

Potential obstacles or hazards for navigation could be locally formed fast ice, glacial ice from Ikerssuaq and multiyear ice from the Arctic Ocean.




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In the coldest winter during the studied years, fast ice in Kangerluarsuk reached a maximum thickness of 70 cm, but in average ice thickness is 40-45 cm.

The amounts of glacial ice in the fjords and multiyear ice change with the sea-son from to year to year. The most important obstacles or hazards to shipping occur primarily in spring and early summer according to the report.

The ice report, Appendix D, indicates an average 3-5 months' period during which the amount of ice makes shipping difficult/unsafe, especially along route no. 2 and 3 (see map on page 7 of the ice report).

According to a captain who has experience from these waters, there is a period of approx. 0-2 months during which shipping will not be possible. Polaroil has indicated the non-shipping period to be around 2.5 months.

Based on historical ice data, the possibility of using more than one shipping route from the ocean to the fjord and statements from the two companies above, we have assumed a non-shipping period of three months.




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5 Meteorological and oceanographic conditions

The area of South Greenland is classified as subarctic climate zone.

There is no information about water current in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord.

The following types of tide occur in the area and may influence shipping: the astronomical tide, meteorological tide and storm surge tide.

The meteorological tide is assumed to be negligible.

The predominantly negative storm surge tide occurs when a storm is blowing from the inland ice through the fjord for a long time. However, in case of ex-treme low water, the vessel will have to leave the berth. The storm surge tides have not been determined.

At Qaqortoq and Narsaq the maximum astronomical tidal range is 3.4 m above the Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT). But, as some tidal stowage will occur in the closed fjord, a further tidal range of 0.60 m is added for the port site.

The following astronomical tides are thus assumed:

• HAT: +2.00 m

• MSL: 0.00 m

• LAT: -2.00 m

During the field program in 2010 a weather station was established in the pro-ject area. The station is collecting data nonstop. For data from 2010 to 2011 please see Appendix E.

Meteorological information from the neighbouring towns is available in DMI's database. The weather statistics for the last 10 years for Qaqortoq are avail-able at DMI's website. Information for Narsaq or Narsarsuaq can be purchased from DMI.

The large knowledge of the meteorological and oceanographical conditions is with RAL; this information is available against a fee.

For better knowledge of the waters around the TANBREEZ port, a measuring station will be established. Information from this station will give us more de-tails about water current, tide and salinity. A station will be installed during the construction phase or when financing is in place.




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6 Ship and crew

The bulk carrier to be used for shipping of concentrate will be constructed, equipped and manned according to current regulations applying to sailing in Arctic regions, ref. /2/ and ref. /4/. The vessel will thus be suitable to sail in ice-filled waters and in areas with limited infrastructure.

6.1 Voyage planning

In inner Greenlandic waters, navigation in ice will be included in the voyage planning.

At least one ice navigator should be on board the vessel when sailing through the inner fjords. The navigator should have sufficient experience in navigating in ice waters and be able to document it.

Officers and crew on board the vessel should be familiar with conditions relat-ing to sailing in cold weather, and the entire crew must be familiar with emer-gency instructions and train or self-study drill materials on vessel in ice-filled waters.

Each vessel captain will be presented with a document containing all relevant information and describing all obstructions for sailings through inland waters to the TANBREEZ port.

6.2 Requirements according to IMO

The vessel that will be used for the project will be constructed and suitable for navigation in ice-filled waters. Prior to operations, it will be further investigated that it meets the requirements and follows the "Guidelines for Ships Operating in Polar Waters", issued by IMO, ref. /4/.

This goes for issues like stability (both when navigating in ice and in damaged conditions), leak stability, anchoring and towing, special design requirements, special arctic equipment, electronic navigation aids etc.

6.2.1 Ships' stability in damaged condition

If the vessel is damaged due to ice impact, and the hull is penetrated, the ves-sel should be able to withstand subsequent flooding.

Because of the limited number of available ships and the response time to pro-vide assistance in polar ice waters, the vessel should be able to anchor up and provide limited assistance in the case of an emergency (damage).

The vessel should be designed to protect the anchor system from damage or disturbance during direct impact with ice. The anchoring system should be de-signed in such a way that the anchor cable could be used as an emergency towing bridle.




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The vessel should be also capable of receiving emergency towing assistance and have bollards, fairleads, and other components suitable for the size of the unit they are fitted on.

All design details should be agreed upon with the insurance company.

6.2.2 Special design requirements for ships

The vessel should be designed, taking into consideration all conditions which could have influence on the vessel's voyage.

6.2.3 Special arctic equipment

Vessels operating in ice-filled waters should be equipped with at least two ice searchlights. Searchlights should be controlled from a conning position. Lights should be installed to provide a sufficient amount of illumination during dock-ing, manoeuvres or emergency towing. For further information see ref. /5/.

The vessel crew should have clothing relevant to sailing in arctic conditions. The vessel should be equipped with personal life-saving kits and also group survival kits. Personal and group survival kits should be placed in area that will be easy to use during an emergency situation.

6.2.4 Electronic navigation aids

All ships sailing to Greenland waters must submit GREENPOS reports.

The ship sailing in ice-filled waters should fulfil the requirements of the IMO Guidelines.

Ships larger than 20 BRT (i.e. GRT - gross register ton) are obligated to follow the COASTAL CONTROL reporting system, ref. /6/.




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7 Ports, places of call, anchorages etc.

7.1 Neighbouring ports

Qaqortoq and Narsaq are ports of call for the Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ships that carry passengers. Both ports are operated by and under the authority of Royal Arctic Line.

Qaqortoq port is able to accommodate ships with a length of approx. 150 m. The depth of the entry channel is approx. 15 m.

Narsaq harbour has a steep depth and is able to accommodate ships with a length of approx. 150 m.

The closest port with capacity to receive Panamax size vessels is Nuuk port at a range of 330 nautical miles (nm) to the north.

7.2 TANBREEZ port

7.2.1 Pier and dolphins

The marine facilities will consist of a pier and two berthing/mooring dolphins, both made of sheet piles. The structures are filled with local quarry run. The sides of the pier may serve as service quay for the tug, minor service vessels and passenger ships.

Figure 18, Port layout (see drawing G00-0-01, ref. /1/)




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The pier and the dolphins will be interconnected by bridges, e.g. old army bridges.

The elevation of the quay apron on both the pier and dolphins is +4.00 m.

For further information see Section 11.

Onshore moorings

The onshore moorings will consist of a number of appropriate sized bollards on the pier and dolphins.

The bollards could be 'Bean bollards', type Twin Horn, or similar.

Two onshore mooring bollards will also be constructed on shore. This will make it possible to moor by bow and stern lines.

Figure 19, On-shore mooring buoy

Offshore moorings

The offshore moorings will consist of a deberthing buoy, anchor chains and a gravity foundation on the sea bed.

Deberthing buoy

The buoy will assist in the deberthing manoeuvres, hence saving the assistance from a second tug. The deberthing buoy is to be furnished with a quick release mooring hook.




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The buoy could be from e.g. Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V., the Nether-lands, or similar.

Figure 20, Deberthing buoy

Anchor chains

The buoy is anchored to the seabed gravity foundation by means of studless anchor chains, steel grade R3.

A total factor of safety of 3.00 on the minimum breaking load (MBL) is judged to be appropriate.

The chains could be from Vicinay Cadenas S.A., Spain, or from Sotra Marine Products AS, Norway, or similar.

Gravity foundation

The anchor chains will be connected to a gravity foundation on the seabed at approx. 100 m water depth, where the sea bed is more or less horizontal. As the sea bed is assumed to consist of smooth rock, conventional sea bed an-chors cannot be used.

However, a sea bed survey by diver or ROV must be undertaken, and possible boulders and loose deposits must subsequently be cleared away.




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The gravity foundation must have sufficient weight to resist the pulling force in sliding.

Fender works

In order to protect the pier and the dolphins from damages from berthing im-pacts from the bulk carrier, protective fenders will be provided.

A retractable floating foam fender with chain tyre net is proposed.

The fenders could be of the following makes: Trelleborg Marine Systems, Swe-den, Fender Team, Germany (based on Shibata fenders, Japan), or similar.

Navigational aids

Prior to the shipping start, detail design for the navigational aids will be pre-pared and presented to the DMA for the necessary approvals. The Navigational Aids Report will be prepared by an external adviser or contracted shipping company, familiar with ice waters.

All possible requirements of DMA will be complied with in time, and necessary aids for navigation will be in place before operation of the mine is commenced.

A system of navigational beacons, fog horns etc. will thus possibly have to be established at the port.

Moreover, navigational aids will be considered at narrow passages along the approach routes to the port; see also Section 11.

7.3 Safety equipment

The pier head and the dolphins will be equipped with appropriate safety meas-ures such as rescue ladders, life belts etc. as deemed necessary.

Inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR)

The IMR activities will, among other things, encompass the following:

Outside the shipping season, the deberthing buoy will be demounted to avoid damages from the ice. It will be thoroughly inspected in the yard, and neces-sary repair works undertaken.

When the ice breaks up, the pier head and the dolphins will be inspected for damages from ice and possible remedial repair works undertaken.

Occasionally, the state of corrosion of the sheet pile walls will be checked.




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7.4 Manoeuvring area

Operation in the port area

The port area of the fjord has a width of approx. 1 km. Operating the vessel in the area will be supported by tugboat and the built-in deberthing buoy.

Operation in hazardous weather conditions

In case of bad weather arising, the vessel will take off from the pier and sail to a designated area in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord. The exact area will be pointed after receiving multi-beam scanning in the fjord. Based on knowledge of the seabed we will be able to say if the deberthing buoy will be needed or if the vessel can anchor on the seabed.

7.5 Sediment transportation

There are a few estuaries in the area of the Kangerluarsuk Fjord but the big-gest sediment transportation comes from Lakseelv. The Lakseelv estuary is lo-cated approx. 1 km in a north-eastern direction from port site.

Along the design routes Skovfjord, Bredefjord, Narsap Saava and Mato-løb no large rivers or streams carrying sediments were located.




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8 Emergency preparedness and risk-reducing measures

Meteorological information will be retrieved via internet connection in the TAN-BREEZ port or by the vessels themselves.

Emergency preparedness and risk-reducing measures will be considered for the following types and extent of sailing:

• From the coast of Greenland to Rotterdam, approx. 2,123 nautical miles (nm) at a speed of 13.5 knots (kts) per hour, i.e. a sailing time of approx. seven days

• From the coast Greenland to Piraeus, approx. 3,982 nm at a speed of 13.5 kts per hour, i.e. a sailing time of approx. 13 days

• Inland sailing via Bredefjord, approx. 60 nm. The sailing time for this stretch will be approx. 10-15 hours at a max. speed of 4 kts per hour excl. berthing of vessel. The reason for the limited speed is the possible slow drifting ice/ice growlers en route

• Transportation of personnel by boat between Qaqortoq/Narsaq and the TANBREEZ port, sailing time approx. 3 hours

The bulk carrier will have assistance of a tugboat along the route, if required.

If a vessel/bulk carrier needs assistance along the route, there are several ways to get help:

• By tug from the TANBREEZ site

• By coastal vessel or aircraft

• Through a rescue operation initiated by the helicopter at the project site (if available) or helicopter from Narsarsuaq

• By seeking rescue in the nearest harbour or anchorage

At a later stage of the project, detailed risk assessment will be prepared. The risk assessment will take into consideration factors such as environmental, technical issues.

When preparing the risk assessment, shipping companies will be involved.




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The Search and Rescue (SAR) areas in Greenland are as follows:

RCC Søndrestrøm: Søndrestrøm Search and Rescue Region (SRR)

The Chief Constable's Office in Nuuk: The police in Greenland are responsi-ble for search and rescue on land and in near-shore waters Qaqartoq and Nar-saq.

MRCC Grønnedal: Grønnedal is acting as Maritime Rescue Coordination Cen-tre, and special reporting and safeguarding areas for shipping to and from Greenland have been established. The MRCC Grønnedal unit is moving to Nuuk and changing name to MRCC Nuuk.

Types of services:

Aircraft suitable for SAR operations and located in Greenland will be available through the SAR Coordinator at RCC Søndrestrøm.

Search and rescue facilities for land operations and coastal vessels suitable for SAR operations will be available through the Chief Constable in Greenland.




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9 Assessment of possible environmental effects

The existing data suggest that only very few marine animals occur regularly in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord. The most common is believed to be the ringed seal which is very widespread in Greenland and even occur in places with quite heavy sailing.

Very few sea birds have been recorded from the fjord and no breeding colonies exist.

The ringed seal is most at risk from March-April to mid May when the pups are born in snow dens and sea ice. Outside this period, the ringed seal is not known to be particularly sensitive to sailing, and it is common and widespread through Greenland waters, including areas of frequent sailing (and large scale hunting). Sailing in the fjords should therefore not adversely affect the ringed seals since shipping will not take place during their breeding period.

The disturbance or impact of sailing to marine mammals in Kangerluarsuk Fjord is expected to be low.

Above text is part of the EIA report.




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10 Conclusion and account

The primary access to the area will be by boat. There are two possible routes to the project area; one through the Ikersuaq Fjord (Bredefjord) to the Narsap Saava and to Skovfjord, and a second between the Simiutaq islands or the Mato-løb to Skovfjord. Both routes connect in the Kangerluarsuk Fjord.

Transportation of concentrate from the site will be by handymax bulk carrier. The shipping window for sailing will be nine months from mid June to mid April the following year.

Transportation of small goods will be by tugboat from the local towns. A tug-boat will be assigned to the project. It will berth at the TANBREEZ port and will sail with everyday goods all year round. The tugboat will be ice-classed and have moderate icebreaking capabilities.

Delivery of overseas goods to the site will be carried out by a container vessel.

Transportation of all types of goods will be carried out year round.

Manpower will be transported directly to and from the site by boat to/from Narsaq and Qaqortoq. Transportation of personnel will be approx. twice per week in small boat like Targa or similar.

Extraction of the ore is intended to begin in 2017.

Life time of the mine is scheduled to 10 years.

This section of the report is pending and will be updated as the project pro-gresses.




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11 Further investigations

Before the project goes into the operating phase, a multi-beam bathymetric survey will be carried out in area of the Kangerluarsuk Fjord and this survey should comply with IHO S-44.

On basis of this survey, new navigation charts will be prepared for the sailing routes to the TANBREEZ port.

The new nautical charts for Bredefjord, Skovfjord and Narsap Saava will be published in 2016.

An investigation to determine what type of vessel to be used (i.e. ice-classed or not ice-classed) will follow in the next phase of the project. For insurance purposes, the insurance company will have to know both the IMO number and name of the vessel.

Information on the meteorological and oceanographical conditions is available from DMI and RAL. This information will be purchased at a later stage of the project.

For the voyage planning and in relation to the new nautical charts, IMO's "Pre-cautions in using navigational charts in Greenland waters" should be investi-gated.

The mooring facilities in port should be reviewed. During loading operations ships may need additional bollards on the shore line. The deberthing buoy should be revised; if a vessel is equipped with stern and bow thrusters, the de-berthing buoy will be not needed.

For navigational aid, the set-up of beacons, lines of sights and fog horns will be designed for the sailing routes. For example, at the entrance to the Kanger-luarsuk Fjord (see Figures 10 and 11) and in the area of crossing under the power cables (see Figure 12).

It is very difficult to determine the date of the existing navigation charts. New navigation charts will have to be produced on basis of further bathymetric sur-veys.

A hydrographical survey will be performed on basis of consultations with the KMS and DMA.

In case of new laws or new guidelines, e.g. Polar Code 2013, this report has to be reviewed.

An environmental investigation to determine the possible impacts of a potential shipping accident (cargo or fuel is spilt into the sea) will also have to be carried out.




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12 List of references

/1/ Drawings (separate binder)

/2/ Order no. 417 of 28 May 2009 issued by DMA, "Order on technical regulation on safety of navigation in Greenland territorial waters"

/3/ A 25/Res. 999 issued by IMO, "Guidelines on voyage planning for pas-senger ships operating in remote areas", January 2008

/4/ A 26/Res. 1024 issued by IMO, "Guidelines for ships operating in polar waters", December 2009

/5/ Technical Regulation no. 169 of 4 March 2009 issued by DMA, "Tech-nical regulation on the use of search lights during navigation in Greenland waters"

/6/ "EfS A, Notice to Mariners, Denmark - Appendix to EfS 1 2012" issued by DMA 6 January 2012




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13 List of appendices

A Cross section, overhead power cable

B Layout plans

C Scansurvey "Scansurvey Report of Survey", June 2010

D DMI Ice Service "Ice Conditions related to Navigation near Kangerd-luarssuk , South Greenland", July 2010

E Orbicon "Hydrological and Climatological Status Report 2011"

Documents

TANBREEZ Project - Naalakkersuisut/media/Nanoq/Files... · • Two open pit mines - The Feasibility Study (FS) is based on the annual treatment of 500,000 tons of ore to produce 100,000