Australian Minister visits OMC
(Posted on 06/04/20)
OMC International recently hosted the Hon. Keith Pitt MP, Minister for Resources, Water and
Northern Australia at its head office, where Minister Pitt was given an overview of OMC’s
Dynamic Under Keel Clearance technology. This world leading, locally developed e-navigation
and port optimisation software provides enormous benefits to Australia’s ports and shipping
The primary applications of DUKC are to:
1. Ensure the safety and prevent groundings of vessels transiting a port or waterway;
2. Increase the sailing drafts (i.e. cargo) on a vessel, thereby reducing freight costs;
3. Reduce environmental impacts through:
a. Optimising vessel arrival times at ports thereby minimising vessel emissions,
b. Reducing the number of vessels required to carry export cargo volumes; and
c. Minimising dredging requirements.
4. Increase the available sailing window for a vessel, thereby reducing port congestion and
wait times, and increasing port throughput and efficiency;
5. Facilitate larger vessel classes into Australian ports, thereby maintaining their
competitiveness and minimising costs for industry.
The value of DUKC to Australia’s resource sector is significant, with approximately 98% of iron
ore exports, 99% of alumina shipments, 90% of coal exports, 77% of bauxite shipments, and 76%
of crude imports benefiting from the efficiencies delivered by DUKC.
For example, DUKC® can increase the available draft of a vessel by up to 1m without the need
for dredging. To put this in perspective, DUKC increases the throughput of iron ore through the
Pilbara ports of Port Hedland, Dampier and Cape Lambert by up to 10%. With the value of iron
ore exports expected to exceed $100 billion, DUKC® could provide the equivalent of $10b per
annum in additional revenue.
Furthermore, by shipping the same volume on fewer vessels, DUKC® reduces the CO2 emissions
of these exports by 1.2m tonnes per annum; equivalent to taking approximately 255,000 cars off
the road.
“It’s great to see innovative Australian technology delivering world class safety and huge
economic value for our resources sector,” Minister Pitt said.
“Resource and energy exports are vital to Australia’s economy and it’s essential to ensure safety
of shipping whilst optimising throughput. DUKC is facilitating ports to achieve this.”
Latest News
DNV and RSI complete study on decarbonising short sea dry bulk fleet
(Posted on 07/08/25)Amid increasing pressure on shipping to achieve the IMO 2050 decarbonization targets, the Responsible... Read more
London P&I Club warns industry over incorrect FIBC loading
(Posted on 04/08/25)The London P&I Club has renewed calls on ship owners, operators and charterers to address potential... Read more
Columbia Group calls for overhaul of maritime training
(Posted on 04/08/25)Columbia Group is calling for urgent reforms in maritime education to address a growing shortage of... Read more
MIS launches as new global media platform
(Posted on 30/07/25)Maritime Information Services (MIS) has officially launched as a global media platform delivering daily... Read more
Russian and Ukrainian seafarers continue struggle with psychiatric fallout of war
(Posted on 30/07/25)Russian and Ukrainian seafarers continue to experience significant psychological strain following the... Read more
Noatum expands global footprint with inauguration of Shanghai office
(Posted on 30/07/25)Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, announced the official... Read more
Smart Ship Hub emission reporting first through Asiatic Lloyd partnership
(Posted on 21/07/25)Leading vessel optimisation platform Smart Ship Hub has announced its partnership with AL Group &ndash... Read more
KR Representative LEE Jungkun Elected Chair of IACS Safety Panel
(Posted on 21/07/25)KR (Korean Register) has announced that LEE Jungkun, General Manager of KR’s Convention &... Read more
INTERCARGO-member fleets outperform on safety and compliance
(Posted on 17/07/25)Dry bulk carriers entered with the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) continue... Read more
NEMO strengthens global role with official status from IMO and IAEA
(Posted on 15/07/25)The Nuclear Energy Maritime Organization (NEMO) is proud to announce that it has officially been granted... Read more
