View of Dalian Container Terminal. [YANG YI/CHINA NEWS SERVICE]
Liaoning Port Group’s Dalian Container Terminal Co., Ltd., located in Dalian Jinpu New Area, Liaoning Province, has increased efficiency by integrating 5G-enabled unmanned container trucks, automatic rail-mounted gantry cranes, and remote-controlled quay cranes.
“The screen shows a clear panoramic view. I can just use the joystick in my office and get the job done right away,” said the terminal’s quay crane operator, who is now remotely transporting containers from ships to smart container trucks. said Qin Xuhai (48), the operator.
Mr. Hata had 17 years of experience as a quay crane operator before becoming a remote operator in June 2022. He recalled the challenges of traditional field work, including the physical strain and uncomfortable working environment inside the approximately 40-meter-high crane cabin.
In an automated operation area several hundred meters away from an office building, six unmanned container trucks are operating under a quay crane.
Once loaded, the truck moves around the yard and delivers the container to a rail-mounted automatic gantry crane before returning to the quay for further operations.
These unmanned trucks rely on “5G+BeiDou” technology, which enables real-time reception and execution of transportation instructions, such as autonomous driving, automatic positioning, and overtaking maneuvers.
Wang Chong, Deputy General Manager of Container Terminal Operations Management, said that all unmanned trucks in the terminal are electric and can operate continuously for 7 to 8 hours on a one-hour charge, making them more energy efficient than conventional unmanned trucks. Said it was expensive. Traditional internal combustion engine transportation method.
The terminal currently utilizes 15 5G-enabled unmanned container trucks.
“Traditional manned truck operating modes required six drivers for each operating line and required shift changes.Unmanned trucks can meet 24-hour production demands with autonomous operation and remotely monitor each operating line. Only one staff member is required to do this,” Wang said. .
For the 24 rail-mounted gantry cranes, 16 people were required. Only five people are needed now, but in times of shortages like the pandemic, only three were needed, he said.
“The system’s intelligent algorithms automatically assign containers arriving at the port to the optimal position in the yard, reducing waiting times under the same crane, thereby increasing operational efficiency.” Wang said.
Data shows that after the system went online, the overall efficiency of single quay crane operation increased by 5%, vessel operating efficiency increased by 10%, and external trailer time in port was reduced by nearly 20%. Ta.
Zhang Hao, deputy general manager of Dalian Container Terminal Co., Ltd., said that two of the terminal’s eight quay cranes have completed the transition to autonomous operation. Plans are underway to have all eight cranes fully automated by 2025.
Liaoning Port Group’s “Daxiao Bay Smart Port 2.0” project has achieved intelligent and green upgrading in addition to automation. For example, the terminal will install three indoor and one outdoor environmental monitoring points to integrate comprehensive data on five key environmental factors, including water, power, air, weather, and tides in the port. I am.
“Smart factories are still a little far away, but 5G is near us. Ultimately, we aim to realize industrial IoT and smart factories,” said Bo of the Institute of Management and Logistics, part of Dalian University.・Professor Honguan said. of technology.
He said that if intelligent terminals used in equipment and production lines can be easily connected to 5G networks, the most important foundation will be laid for the subsequent collection and further application of industrial big data.
In the 2023 5G-connected factory list released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Dalian Container Terminal’s 5G smart port is one of 300 factories selected from applications nationwide.
The 5G fully connected factory construction guidelines issued by the ministry in August 2022 will focus on various industries such as raw materials, equipment, consumer goods, and electronics during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). is proposed. In addition to major industrial sectors such as mining, ports and power, it will promote the construction of fully connected 5G factories and promote the deep development of 5G integrated applications.
According to a press conference held by the State Council News Office on December 21, China ranked first in the world in automatic container terminals, both those already built and those under construction.
According to Yang Hua-xiong, deputy director of the Water Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Transport, 18 automatic container terminals have now been completed, and 27 more, including renovated automatic container terminals, are under construction.
