I’ve seen the port of the future – but where’s everybody gone?

26 Sep 2011 - By Holly Birkett, Managing Editor of Port Technology International, London, UK. - Editor's Blog

 “I feel as though I’m in a boy band,” thought I, sat upon a stool facing the audience, mic in hand, two guys to my left, waiting for the sound guys to finish fiddling with the levels. “This is probably exactly what it must feel like... I hope Mike and Chris remember to rise to their feet once we reach the key change.”

Regrettably, after a lifetime of waiting for my music career to begin, I’m still waiting. This morning I was, in fact, chairing a “bar stool-style interview” stream on the topic that everyone inevitably discusses over a cold beer and peanuts – the future of port design and technology.

By my side were Mike Howie, Group Product Manager for Cavotec MoorMaster Ltd., and Chris Booth, Director for Terminal Business (EMEA) for Cargotec, replacing Ismo Matinlauri who, after a spell of bad luck, unfortunately wasn’t able to make it.

Despite being a little bit horrendously nervous, the stream went pretty well. We used Cargotec’s Port 2060 project, which was launched at TOC Europe earlier this year (you can read my report on it here, and my blog on it here), as a starting point and then moved on to automated mooring as an example of tomorrow’s technology today.

Port 2060 was launched, as Ismo Matinlauri – the brains behind the project – originally put it: “To find out where we are heading, what can be changed and what could remain as it is.” As the stream went on, we agreed that we’re (pretty obviously) heading for greater levels of automation.

Automated mooring, we also agreed, would become a standard feature in the port of tomorrow. Insurers, to date, have been reticent to underwrite such a new fangled piece of machinery, but –think about it – doesn’t it make more sense to underwrite a fully automated piece of machinery that records its own performance and reports maintenance issues, rather than a rope aboard a vessel that, apart from visible signs of wear and tear, we have little way of assessing how safe it is to use, or how fit it is for purpose?

Furthermore, with the advent of automated mooring it can now be possible (hypothetically) for the terminal apron to be completely free of workers during mooring and unloading a vessel, when deployed in conjunction with fully automated quay cranes and AGVs.  This could be the norm in just a few years time, improving safety and, with the right planning, giving super-fast turn-around times, levels of productivity and efficiency, any time of day or night. As someone commented later, “The Unions are going to go mental!”

Another point that we can agree on – and one that is already being consolidated in the industry today – is that there will be greater integration between different links in the supply chain and greater, more transparent levels of communication between all parties. This very thought-provoking blog post by Bruce Richardson perhaps sums it up best. The ideas that are bound to succeed are ones that set their foundations on simplicity, good common sense and tried-and-tested technologies, so this is one of the reasons I think a “social network” approach to the supply chain would work (eventually). It would provide a user-friendly interface we’re all familiar with (or will certainly be second nature to us in the future), utilising software that essentially already exists for sharing invoices, progress updates, the location of the container in terminal stacks, shipment notes and so on, all stored in one place, in a transparent and accessible medium. Forget LinkedIn – for container shippers, how about BoxedIn?*

A man who’s certainly a great believer in bringing different members of the supply chain into closer cooperation is Anil Yendluri, CEO of Krishnapatnam Port, whom I interviewed today. Krishnapatnam won Port Operator of the year at this year’s Lloyd’s List Global Awards, and upon completion will comprise of no less than 42 berths! If they handed out charisma in containers, Mr. Yendluri would have at least a few million TEUs worth in his yard. He’s a man who, with his close-knit team, is turning the stereotype of the congested, overly bureaucratic Indian port on its head. I have to say I was impressed. I’ll publish the interview on porttechnology.org tomorrow, so keep an eye out for that. You can’t really argue with a man who’s in the process of constructing 42 berths (thankfully not single-handedly.)

* N.B. If you’re some clever clogs who wants to go about using that name, pop £10 in an envelope to me and we’ll call it quits – my children need shoes... Or will do, when I have some – we’re talking futuristically here, after all.

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