Port Technology News

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has signed a joint development agreement with Coast Autonomous Inc. to accelerate the development and launch of robotic solutions across the mobile equipment offering. Kalmar has also become a minority shareholder of Coast Autonomous.The joint development agreement and investment in Coast Autonomous follows the introduction of Kalmar Robotic Portfolio - a future range of intelligent, flexible and autonomous mobile equipment solutions designed to improve safety…

Predictive intelligence tech company Windward has launched Container Insights, a capability that provides live screening and tracking of containers and Bill of Lading (BOL) verification.The new capability, which Windward says enhances the company’s current Cargo Insights, optimizes and increases the efficiency of screening processes for trade finance transactions and enables government agencies to investigate suspicious containers, providing them with a "holistic" view of vessels…

Hong Kong-based ship management company Anglo-Eastern Group has completed the successful roll-out of Navigator Port to its fleet of more than 600 vessels.DNV GL’s port clearance software is used daily onboard several thousand ships worldwide for management of port documentation, assisting seafarers in navigating the administrative and regulatory complexity of port clearance and passage through controlled waters.“One of the most time-consuming tasks onboard is preparing port documentation,” says Captain Pradeep Chawla, Managing Director, QHSE and Training at Anglo-Eastern. “We have brought in Navigator Port to reduce the administrative burden and ensure quality of the reporting.

Navelink is a newly formed sea traffic management industry consortium initiated by the industrial companies Kongsberg Gruppen, Saab and Wärtsilä, three influential and significant maritime equipment manufacturers and service providers.The aim of the consortium is to reach a new global standard enabling scalable maritime information exchange. The consortium already has the Swedish Maritime Authority (SMA) boarded and has commissioned Combitech to deliver the infrastructure needed."Ship owners and operators, as well as coastal and port authorities and their service providers can benefit from the open infrastructure we are establishing.

To encourage More women are joining the maritime ranks in a variety of professions within the industry and with a view to continuing the momentum to empower women in the maritime community, International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities.Twenty-two women from 10 francophone countries in Africa - Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,  Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Guinea, Madagascar, Senegal, Seychelles and Togo -, took part in the two-week "Women in Port Management" course, hosted in Le Havre, France (27 January - 7 February).The course covered lectures on port management, port security, marine environment, facilitation of maritime traffic, marketing, port logistics and other topics.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is starting a trial digital service providing application-based advice on public berths for inland shipping.As they are approaching the port, users of RiverGuide - the digital route planner for inland navigation - will receive a push message asking them whether they require a berth.The aim of the trial is to validate whether voyage data and vessel characteristics can be used to provide correct advice on berths. "We shall also be assessing whether the skipper appreciates the advice provided. Running until the end of January 2020, the trial will include 500 port calls. If the trial proofs successful, the system could become a permanent feature within RiverGuide and other route planners…

For the first time, the ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam come together to showcase their most advanced digital transformation and sustainability projects at their dedicated ‘Smart Ports’ exhibitThe 'Smart Ports. Piers of the Future' event brought together six of the world's largest ports and has turned Barcelona into the world capital of port innovation.At the Smart City Expo World Congress, held from 19 to 21 November at the Fira de Barcelona events center on Gran Via, the ports of Antwerp, Barcelona, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Montreal and Rotterdam joined forces for the first time to set up their…

APM Terminals, an international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague, has commenced the global rollout of an advanced application monitoring solution, capable of spotting issues with performance before they start to negatively impact operations.The new solution, which has already been rolled out to 11 terminals, will ensure business continuity, improve terminal efficiency, and safeguard consistency (peak moves per hour) by ensuring that applications consistently operate at the speed they’re supposed to. It will also prevent minor problems from combining to cause a major outage.According to APM Terminals Global Capability Manager…

The Gothenburg Port Authority recently launched a data system designed to coordinate and monitor work at the Port of Gothenburg Energy Port, the largest open access energy terminal in Sweden, handling more than 20 million tonnes of energy products annually."The ultimate outcome of the digital solutions is more rapid and more efficient handling of goods - quicker, safer, and less administration," claimed the port authority in a press release.“We operate in a high-intensity environment where safety is our first priority. Still, we need to handle large freight volumes and traffic flows quickly and efficiently. With smart automation and digitized processes…

Streamlining the many administrative procedures necessary when ships enter or leave port is an important element of International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s work.And now, an important tool used by software developers to create systems for exchanging the relevant data electronically has been made available by the Organization online and free of charge.The IMO Compendium is a reference manual containing data sets and the structure and relationships between them, that will enable the IMO Member States to fulfill a mandatory obligation (in place since April 2019) for the reporting formalities for ships, cargo and people on board international…

The Port of Marseille Fos (Grand Port Maritime de Marseille; GPMM) has just completed a blockchain pilot scheme to enhanced efficiencies at France’s largest seaport.The focus of the project for freight transportation on the  Mediterranean-Rhone-Saone (MeRS) corridor is to run a trial to evaluate the security of the digital transport chain. It will involve applying blockchain technology to supply chain logistics and freight forwarding, particularly where goods are transported in multiple ways such as sea and road.Results from trials held over recent months have now been reviewed at a meeting hosted by the port and demonstrated that harmonization of the digital transport chain improved fluidity…

Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Heng Swee Keat, DPM Heng announced the launch of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) ‘digitalPORT@SG’, a digital Portal for One-stop Regulatory Transactions, which is Singapore’s maritime single window system that will serve as a one-stop portal for maritime regulatory and port services transactions.It will be developed in two phases: Phase 1 – users can obtain approval for all arriving and departing ships from three public agencies – MPA, the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and the National Environment Agency – through a single portal. The portal will consolidate up to 16 separate forms into a single application.

Maqta Gateway, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Etisalat enabling connectivity and bringing digital innovation across the port facilities.The partnership will help transform the port with technologies like cloud computing, IoT and big data, paving the way for a new era of digital transformation in the maritime sector.Dr. Noura Al Dhaheri, Chief Executive Officer, Maqta Gateway, said: “We aim to transform our port facilities with smart solutions and technologies. Etisalat as a partner will help us achieve our vision by delivering digital services that is in line with the Abu Dhabi vision 2030 and ultimately improve customer experience.”Sultan Al Dhaheri…

Global Container Terminals (GCT) will deploy the IBM-Maersk TradeLens platform at its four North American terminals.GCT operates four strategically located, big ship ready terminals on the west and east coast of North America. A leader in technologically advanced terminal operations, no company is more prepared to keep pace with the changing needs of global supply chains than GCT.In the Port of Vancouver, GCT Canada is the heart of the Asia-Pacific Gateway. GCT Deltaport is Canada’s largest marine terminal, providing the most efficient ship-to-rail discharge facility worldwide, and GCT Vanterm is among the most productive terminals on the continent.In the Port of New York and New Jersey, GCT USA boasts the fastest truck processing and vessel productivity in the harbor.

An intensive training on port management and operational efficiency was delivered to high-level officials and decision-makers from maritime and port authorities around the world.The annual five-week course, delivered by the Institut Portuaire d’Enseignement et de Recherche (IPER), concluded on 11 October in le Havre, France.The 33rd Advanced Course on Port Operations and Management welcomed 19 participants from 19 countries. Seven of these participants were women. The participating countries were Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Jamaica, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, United Republic of Tanzania and Togo.The course includes class-based training and site visits.

South Carolina Ports Authority (SCPA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) were awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant program to upgrade the engines of 12 rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes.The EPA awarded the grant to DHEC, in partnership with SCPA. The funding will equip the Port’s RTG cranes with hybrid battery/genset engine systems, replacing the existing hi-power diesel engines.The new engines will reduce emissions of particulate matter, air toxins and nitrogen oxides up to 96% while reducing annual fuel consumption by over 100,000 gallons.SCPA Chief Operating Officer Barbara Melvin said S.C.

The SAFIR consortium of partners – Amazon Prime Air, Aveillant, C-Astral, DronePort, Elia, Explicit, Helicus, Port of Antwerp, Proximus, SABCA, Skeyes, Tekever and Unifly – tested the first simultaneous drone flights today in Sint-Truiden DronePort, for among other things package deliveries, inspection flights and emergency situations. European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc also followed the demonstrations from the front row. SAFIR stands for "Safe and Flexible Integration of Initial U-space Services in a Real Environment," a project funded by the EU.After the first trial round in Sint-Truiden, the press is invited to watch…

The provider of terminal operating system (TOS) solutions Tideworks Technology announced cooperation activity with Liebherr Container Cranes Ltd. (LCC), a manufacturer of container cranes, regarding their solutions to the container handling industry.According to a press note, this is Tideworks’ first cooperation with an equipment manufacturer and demonstrates a progression of its efforts to provide the global supply chain with next-generation TOS solutions and innovative options that include both software and hardware in a harmonized approach.The cooperation will allow terminal operators to leverage tightly integrated TOS and lifting equipment in future offerings.“We are excited to collaborate with Liebherr…

Swedish global engineering group Trelleborg AB said that its marine and infrastructure operation has announced that it is to collaborate with Danish water environment specialist, DHI, enabling marine consultants and port owners to more realistically simulate vessel movements in ports and increase port efficiency.AutoMoor, Trelleborg’s rope-free automated mooring system which uses smart technologies to enable a faster berthing process and improve safety within the port environment, will be integrated into DHI’s MIKE 21 Mooring Analysis Software (MIKE 21 MA) over a five-year period.The integration will give port operators the ability to…

The implementation of a range of simple measures to streamline shift changes at APM Terminals Pipavav has reduced vessel idle times, added capacity and reduced impact on crane moves per hour due to shift change by around 16%.At the same time, it has also improved trailer driver and crane operator safety, said a press release from APM Terminals, an international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague.The Pipavav team has introduced clearly marked parking bays for terminal trailers, which provide a safe distance between each trailer. This provides drivers with a safe area to conduct per-operation checks and protects them from other vehicles when exiting their trailers.

The largest port in Europe, the Port of Rotterdam has introduced new app for bunkering notifications with which paperless bunkering and informing the Harbour Master and Customs possible in one go.TimeToBunker App is bunker barge operator tool for electronic bunkering notification. Maud Eijgendaal and Marc de Vries of the Port of Rotterdam Authority developed the new innovative application.Bunker specialists in the port of Rotterdam are obliged to notify the Port Authority and Customs prior to commencing each bunkering operation. These are practically the same notifications that currently still need to be made separately. This could be done smarter.Maud Eijgendaal…

The largest cohort of 27 port masters, harbour masters and middle managers from maritime and port authorities from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and Oceania attended the sixth Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) Academy’s Port Management Program (PMP).Developed and organized by MPA Academy, the five-day Program will be delivered by industry practitioners as well as senior officers from the MPA. Some of the key subjects that will be covered during the Program include maritime safety, port planning, digitalisation of the maritime industry, emergency preparedness and crisis communication. The Program includes lectures, practical sessions and site visits.

300 students from Institute of Technical Education, junior colleges, polytechnics, and universities participated in the 6th edition of the Singapore Maritime Dialogue (SMD), which featured a lively panel discussion on the theme of ‘Maritime Singapore in the Age of Digitization’.The group exchanged views on the digital revolution taking place in the maritime industry with invited panelists comprising Guest-of-Honour, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Transport and Health; Mr John Hahn, CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean Freight Exchange; Mr Richard Koh, Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft Singapore; and Ms Melissa Kee, Chief Human Resources Officer of Kuok Singapore Ltd.