By Jean-Paul Rodrigue
Automation is an emerging trend in port terminal development, but taking place at different scale, pace and locations. There are various degrees of automation and in many ways automation is present in a large number of terminals depending how it is defined and if it focuses on infrastructure (e.g. stacking cranes) or information systems (e.g. yard management).
The most common definition classifies terminals as fully or semi automated, which is a rather partial one. For instance, a fully automated terminals is defined as such when the stacking yard and horizontal transfers between the quay and the yard are automated. A semi-automated terminal only involves an automated staking yard. Such a definition is obviously incomplete since it does not consider automated terminal gates and other ‘softer’ forms of automation such as appointment systems. Further, as portainers become automated the need to provide a more nuanced perspective about port terminal automation will become even more salient.
An inventory of terminal automation, cross-referenced with a database about the characteristics of container terminals, reveals a rapidly evolving situation. Although the information is likely to be partial and incomplete, 47 container terminals around the world were either fully or partially automated as of mid 2018. This represents 8.8% of all terminals, but 10.3% of the total global footprint in terms of hectares. While the average container terminal size was 50.3 hectares, it was 65.9 hectares for automated terminals, underlining the scale propensity for automation. As a capital intensive and complex process, automation is thus more prevalent among large commercial gateways and transshipment hubs, particularly when terminal footprint is difficult to expand.
Source: Adapted from Drewry shipping consultants.
