01/01/0001
Crane Intensity Solutions
Addressing an industry gathering on Terminal Automation, in London, APM Terminals Head of Design and Automation Alex Duca cited crane intensity as an emerging issue in terminal operations for which automation can provide productivity solutions. The term refers to the use of multiple cranes on a single vessel, and multiple cranes working multiple vessels.
The concentrated activity at port container terminals due to fewer, but larger vessel calls is creating new challenges in terminal design and operation. At present there are 388 Ultra-Large Container Ships (ULCS) of 10,000 TEU capacity and above operating in the global container fleet, with another 101 on order. Of these, there are 47 ULCS of 18,000 TEU capacity and above in operation, with an additional 58 awaiting delivery.
“The increasing use of Ultra-Large Container Ships, and particularly those of the largest category of 18,000 TEU and above, represent significant gains in fixed cost savings and lower cost per unit for shipping lines by their sheer scale, but this same scale requires new solutions in terminal design and operations”, notes Mr. Duca.
“Simultaneous terminal calls of as many as three ULCS are becoming increasingly common, and the speed with which the cranes and other cargo handling equipment must move to accommodate these volumes require automated processes to assure not only swift discharge and loading, but also the safety of terminal personnel”, he adds.
Modularity is also key concept in modern, automated container terminal design, Mr. Duca advises:
“When you design a container terminal today, you need to view the various terminal modules as building blocks, and automation is in each of them; it is the foundation for everything, not just a block or system placed on top of everything else. Too often automation is considered at the end of a business case definition -as an additional cost which you need to justify. Keep in mind that every terminal operator, and every shipping line expects predictable and consistent productivity which is always better than peaks.”
The concentrated activity at port container terminals due to fewer, but larger vessel calls is creating new challenges in terminal design and operation. At present there are 388 Ultra-Large Container Ships (ULCS) of 10,000 TEU capacity and above operating in the global container fleet, with another 101 on order. Of these, there are 47 ULCS of 18,000 TEU capacity and above in operation, with an additional 58 awaiting delivery.
“The increasing use of Ultra-Large Container Ships, and particularly those of the largest category of 18,000 TEU and above, represent significant gains in fixed cost savings and lower cost per unit for shipping lines by their sheer scale, but this same scale requires new solutions in terminal design and operations”, notes Mr. Duca.
“Simultaneous terminal calls of as many as three ULCS are becoming increasingly common, and the speed with which the cranes and other cargo handling equipment must move to accommodate these volumes require automated processes to assure not only swift discharge and loading, but also the safety of terminal personnel”, he adds.
Modularity is also key concept in modern, automated container terminal design, Mr. Duca advises:
“When you design a container terminal today, you need to view the various terminal modules as building blocks, and automation is in each of them; it is the foundation for everything, not just a block or system placed on top of everything else. Too often automation is considered at the end of a business case definition -as an additional cost which you need to justify. Keep in mind that every terminal operator, and every shipping line expects predictable and consistent productivity which is always better than peaks.”