Global Container Terminals (GCT) officially opened its new semi-automated container yard in Bayonne, New Jersey, US yesterday, it has been reported.
Following four years of careful planning and construction, more than 400 of GCT’s valued customers, vendors, stakeholders, staff, contractors and workforce were shown the level of efficiency by which the new Global Terminal can operate.
The terminal is the first semi-automated terminal in the NY/NJ harbour. To maximise density, the new automated yard area has 10-yard gantry blocks with 20 Konecranes and semi-automatic RMGs running at 45 degrees.
The RMGs, which feature the TMEIC crane control-system, have remote control over road trucks, and operate fully automatically over the stacks and waterside exchange.
GCT's expansion was designed with safety in mind and managed by many of the key players involved in APM's Virginia Terminal, including Rich Ceci, (the project manager), Guy Buzzoni and Pete Giugliano.
Global believes its semi-automated Rail Mounted Gantries (RMGs), plus the advantage of decoupled shuttle trucks serving the quay cranes, will support sustained crane productivity of 40 moves per hour.
Stephen Edwards, president and CEO of GCT said: “With the modernised terminal now online, we look forward to providing the most productive capacity and capability to support our customers in realising their growth plans.”
There are still some tensions over the extent to which automation has replaced long-shore jobs but, as a port authority leader remarked, “this is the future.”