» FEATURE

MOVE OVER
MUSCLE

Seaports Extract Value from Facility
Technologies in New Ways
By Lori Musser

Seaport operations are not being
left out of the technology scramble. Seaports are introducing
new high-tech operational technologies at a fast pace, and, hand-in-glove,
are upgrading their strategies and skill sets
to extract the utmost value from their newinvestments.

On the Docks

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Technology has already permeatedthe back offices and the docks. There ishardly a newly purchased crane or forkliftthat doesn’t boast an automated this or aremote-controlled that.
Some concerns about job loss as portfunctions automate persist, but, with seemingly perpetual global trade growth, there
has also been a focus on expanding skill
sets. Longshore and other workforces havebeen kept busy doing just that and today’s
dock workers are increasingly adept with16

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remote operations, joysticks and hand-helddevices.

In the Office
The ongoing transition from traditional
port tools, equipment and infrastructure to
more high-tech versions has gone well, froman operational perspective. However, hightech equipment needs a lot more than anoperator. It needs someone to spec, choose,finance, purchase, install, connect, monitor,and maintain it.
Those jobs often fall to a port authority or
its terminal operators, who also need new
skill sets, even if they rely on consultants
and contractors to get them started on thehigh-tech path.

Optimizing Port
Automation and Tech
The world’s ports and terminals are rolling out AI, 5G, machine learning, robotics,

autonomous vehicles, remote-controls anddigital everything, in order to build productivity, resiliency, supply chain efficiency andcost-effectiveness.
To reap all these types of benefits, ports
are thinking about their needs from aholistic point of view. Technology offers
competitive advantages so it needs to beincorporated into planning related to ESG(environmental, social, and governance),business development, energy needs andenergy transition, technology communications systems, resiliency preparedness, andother plans and programs.

Your Very Own 5G
To get the biggest bang for a technology buck, ports need to ensure every techelement that needs to communicate withsomeone or something can do so.
Adam Schipper is director of businessdevelopment-ports, for Ericsson North

America. He said that ports are very muchinterested in ways to safely and securely
connect their technologies and digital
data flows: “Automation can be optimized
using the private network concept. We arefocusing on that. It is a private cellularnetwork-in-a-box — prepackaged and preintegrated, and easy to install and operate— but it’s a world-class network.”
Schipper said private networks are scalable: “You can start small, with one terminal, manage the network, and expand,” ifand when desired. “It has open APIs andeasy integration. Enterprise customers likeports don’t want to have to rely on someone
else to manage their network,” he said.
There are other advantages. “The beautyof this is we feel security aspects are tighter
because it is a dedicated network,” Schipper
said. It is arguably far safer than sending
data, such as directions to move a crane, over
Wi-Fi. And, in the event of a disaster, there isless physical infrastructure (like cabling), tobreak, and data is moved in real time so thereis accuracy in asset tracking, and equipmentcondition monitoring, he said.
Schipper said Ericsson’s private networks
are 5G NR. NR refers to new radio accesstechnology developed for fifth generation
mobile networks, and was designed to be
the global standard for the air interface of
5G networks.
A private fully connected network creates a completely integrated, reliable communications system that is important for

performing physical operations such as
remotely controlling heavy or automatedport vehicles.
The benefits of a private network areeasy to assess. “They are eternally reliable, more than a public network and withbetter coverage and capacity. Automatedcontainer-weighing systems, for example,
reduce weighing times. Remote-controlled
quay cranes lower vessel completion time,increasing productivity by up to 25 percent,”
said Schipper.
And while mostly large-volume container
ports and terminal operators have been
investing in private networks, “We havevarious sizes — size small, medium, andlarge — ready to go,” said Schipper.
No matter the size, 5G private networks
are foundational in the quest to achievesmart port status. They can be extremely
affordable: “They are less expensive thanlaying down fiber — especially for a newterminal or port. The reality is that ports
today have multiple communications platforms that are legacy and sitting there andexpensive to keep current. It is a lot morecost effective to optimize a private network,” said Schipper.
For example, a video/camera system connected by cables and fiber can cost in therange of $8,000 to $10,000 per camera. On
a private network, which is wireless andcellular, the connection savings could reach$7,000 to $8,000 per camera, according toSchipper.

Holistic Port Planning
Most ports rely on consultants, contractors and EPCs to help optimize
technologies.
Kosal Krishnan is national maritime market sector leader for WSP, whose maritime
specialists are dedicated to the planning,
design, and construction of port facilities,
marine infrastructure, and coastal facilities.
Krishnan described a recent project
wherein WSP provided engineering design
services to nearly double cargo capacity at
Port Everglades, an important container
port. Technology, in the form of special lowprofile super post-Panamax cranes (there’sa busy airport next door), will enable theport to handle larger container ships andopen a gateway for Asian carriers to serve
the vast consumption markets of Broward
County and South Florida.
It is a best practice for consultants andcontractors to leverage technology to benefit seaports. WSP weaves the latest technologies into its solutions, through the lensof its financial and operational expertise,to deliver comprehensive and future-readysolutions for ports.
Krishnan said there is substantial portinterest nowadays in automated marine terminals, in the provision of shore power tovessels, and in similar tech-based initiatives.
That begs the question of electrical supply and sourcing, both essential to a more
modern, efficient and sustainable maritime
industry, according to Krishnan. Ports are

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collaborating to look under the hood toensure that their electricity is sourced in away that aligns with their carbon-reduction
goals, and to ensure that the potentiallymassive electrical draw of a port full ofvessels (not to mention terminals full ofelectrified equipment) doesn’t black out acity. Such transitions require careful, collaborative strategic planning by vessel andterminal operators, ports, their advisors,utilities, government, and others.
It’s not just putting outlets on a pier.

Here Comes
Autonomous Charging
As ports further electrify, workers areneeded to connect and plug things in. Or
are they?
President and COO of the Taylor Groupof Companies, Robert Taylor, recently
announced an autonomous charging initiative for second generation ZLC ElectricContainer Handlers: “Autonomous charging
is the next step in our commitment to battery electric vehicle technology,” he said.

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Taylor Group is working with Oregonbased Rocsys on the initiative, which
Rocsys describes as autonomous charging
that enables dependable and fast charging,while at the same time reducing wear andtear on charging cables and connectors.

Green Tech
Catalyzes Growth
In Canada, the Port of Belledune,
New Brunswick, is looking for value fromgreen tech. Jeff David is chief engineeringand operations officer at Belledune Port
Authority. “The port aims to be Canada’s
green energy hub. We want to attract
renewable and clean energy to the port thatwill, in turn, attract industry to the area forthe production of green products,” he said.
In that effort, the port has created a specialized development district to welcome
green energy projects — solar, biomass andwind energy, or small modular reactors —as well as advanced energy storage systems
and low-carbon industries including green
manufacturing.
It isn’t doing this alone. It has partneredwith its First Nations communities and provincial electric utility NB Power to align,develop, and market opportunities for private sector green development.
It also has MOUs in place to strengthen
bilateral relationships and support theenergy hub. On May 10, 2023, the Belledune
Port Authority signed an MOU with thePort of Rotterdam focused on the production, storage, and shipment of cleaner fuelssuch as green ammonia, hydrogen, biomass
and renewable natural gas. It enables theports to explore the possibility of infrastructure developments, innovations, andtechnology advancements as the industry
transitions to cleaner fuels.
David said Belledune has a similar MOU with Niedersachsen Ports inWilhelmshaven, Germany, signed in August
2022, to work together on shipping commodities and manufactured products,
also with a focus on clean fuels and green
products.
The mainly bulk cargo port has alreadylined up an anchor project for its green
hub, a green hydrogen production plant
to be developed by Cross River, to begin
production by 2027. The plant will produce
ammonia fuel for export.
In another major project, the Canadiangovernment’s National Trade Corridors

15/07/22 10:55 PM

Fund, which helps infrastructure owners
and users invest in critical transportation
assets that support economic activity, hasfunded up to $12.5 million for a $25 million dry conveyor loop project at the Portof Belledune. The provincial government
funded another $4 million for the project.
The conveyor system will alleviate
congestion issues at Terminal 3 by using
Terminal 2 to unload material in new laydown areas. This will increase the port’s
capacity and efficiency and allow larger
vessels to dock at Terminal 2, reducing thecost of shipping for the port’s clients.

“In addition to greatly enhancing the performance of our operations, the new conveyor system will electrify the movement ofcargo and make an important contribution
to reduce our operations’ greenhouse gas
emissions,” said Denis Caron, president
and CEO of the Belledune Port Authority.
“This project is a game changer for ourefficiency improvements and allows ourpartner, QSL, a competitive advantage forcargo handling.”
David said Belledune is a small port
doing big things. That even applies to its
GIS system. “We developed Apps to do

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pre-arrival and post-departure assessments of our assets for damage,” he said.
While the Apps are dependent on physicalinspections by the harbor master’s department, once inspections are uploaded, theyare easily accessed in the GIS system byappropriate parties, facilitating any necessary action.
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There is substantial
port interest
nowadays inautomated marine
terminals, in theprovision of shore
power to vessels,
and in similar techbased initiatives.

Integrating Technologies
for Prosperity
Leveraging any technology can help aport succeed. Technology is changing theworld’s seaports. Port operations are being
carried out in “smarter” not “harder” ways.
Now that technologies are pervasive inport operations, they must also be integrated into all planning. Ports can leverage
operational tech to enhance port safety
and security, build productivity and resiliency, and better support supply chainsin general.
Port skill sets are going high-tech too,and, ports are even finding ways to help
drive green tech. Innovative and comprehensive ways to extract value from facility
and operational technologies are driving
continued seaport prosperity. ●Scan to learn more

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