Hollund Industrial Marine has only one real competitor in the world today; Triton Logging. So lets examine this company and see what they have.
Triton Logging features two technologies for underwater timber harvesting. The first technology is the Sawfish. Basically, the Sawfish is a submarine about the size of a car or small truck that is tethered to the surface by a series of cables and air hoses. These cables and air hoses create a problem for Triton, because before the Sawfish can get to the trees, a path must be cleared so the cables and air hoses do not get caught and entangled in the branches of the very trees it hopes to recover. In addition, the operator must be highly skilled to avoid underwater features that could also cause entanglement, i.e., cliffs, boulders and stumps.
As anyone with a minimum of marine experience knows, a submarine is a highly maintenance intensive technology. Virtually anything that makes a submarine work also causes problems. Note also that trees the Sawfish seeks to harvest weigh far more than the Sawfish and are massively larger. Some underwater trees extend a hundred or more feet upward and actually protrude dozens of feet above the water. Finally, once the trees are cut, these massive timbers take off like a rocket and do their own thing. The little Sawfish is helpless to do anything about it. As an example, try to maneuver a large skillet or frying pan with only your little finger. One quickly finds that while it can be done, it is not easy, and one is not lifting the entire weight of the pan at the same time one is trying to maneuver it.
The second technology utilized by Triton is called the Sharc. The Sharc is basically a backhoe that features a slide arm that extends straight down a limited distance to harvest trees. The vision system and lighting for the Sharc are located on the platform where the operator is housed, and since the Sharc has little more than up and down motion, the platform must be maneuvered into position for each and every tree. This positioning is a difficult process under the best of conditions, and with turbulent water and limited visibility, the positioning is difficult and time consuming.
Of the two technologies at Triton's disposal, only the Sharc is used extensively (for obvious reasons). However, the Sharc is only capable of harvesting down to about a thirty foot depth, and with only basic up and down motion. This suggests that Triton is currently doing little more than topping trees in Lake Volta, and most people know the real value of trees is found in the trunk and not the branches. This means that except for very shallow reservoirs, the most valuable part of the tree is left standing at the bottom. And, one should keep in mind that underwater timber concessions are generally awarded based on a company's ability to clean or rid the reservoir of trees. The value of the recovered trees is merely a bonus to the real task of remediation.
The advantages of Hollund Industrial Marine's TigerLynk are extensively detailed for all to read simply by visiting their website. The TigerLynk clearly holds an enormous advantage over all competitors found anywhere in the world.
