Peel Ports, owners and operators of the Port of Liverpool, has achieved a major milestone in its multi-million dollar investment programme to transform the port into Europe’s first semi-automated container terminal by making the Navis N4 Terminal Operating System (TOS) and auto gates live and fully operational.
This news follows a recent announcement that around 12ha of reclaimed land had passed its first stage of infilling, with the next due to take place over the summer.
The new TOS and 10-lane auto gates are the latest phase of new infrastructure in the company’s US$500 million redevelopment project to expand and develop Liverpool2.
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The fully automated auto gate system uses identification technologies to manage gate operations, ensuring that all containers and trucks are automatically identified before entering or exiting the terminal.
Advanced OCR (optical character recognition) and line-scan camera technology link with the gate operating software, which integrates to Peel Port’s existing terminal operating software, Navis N4, and Customer Access Portal (CAP).
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David Huck, Port Director at the Port of Liverpool, said: “The introduction of auto gates and the new Navis N4 TOS is a very important step for us in making a difference to our customers, enhancing their experience using the port.
“We took the bold move to combine both initiatives into a single project to minimise any disruption to normal operations for our customers and to provide the overall benefits sooner. Although this decision came with added risks, we have managed to deliver this significant upgrade to our capabilities, thanks to the planning and hard work of the whole team over many months.
“Haulier transactions are now fully integrated into the N4 system, which means more secure and efficient visits and minimal turnaround times at our terminals. This process will also mean that paperwork and leaving the vehicle are unnecessary, so increasing security, improving safety, reducing risks and saving time spent completing manual checks.”
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Tommi Pettersson, VP Automation at Kalmar, said: “Our automated solutions drive greater efficiencies, resulting in lower overall operational costs, improved safety and better equipment availability. Process automation solutions are designed to optimise the information flows within the terminal's business processes to ensure the most efficient equipment utilisation.”
Andy Barrons, Senior Vice-President and Chief Marketing Officer of Navis, concluded: “Landside collaboration is the single biggest remaining opportunity to reduce inefficiency and Peel Ports is tackling this head-on with the implementation of new technologies and processes that will help to move the hauliers through the terminal more rapidly.
(Source: Peel Ports)
