Automation and electrification are the twin goals of advanced container terminals worldwide. They are driven by the desire for reduced costs and reduced environmental impacts of operations, as well as financial pressure for higher utilization of expensive capital assets gained by moving toward 24/7 operations.
Automated stacking cranes (ASCs), which are now the industry standard for new terminals and have been the backbone for automated terminal operations for over 20 years, already meet both goals. Given
that container yards (CY) themselves are already highly optimized, one of the more interesting questions facing port planners in 2017 is how to expand these desirable operating characteristics beyond the container yard.
PLANNER TARGETS
The first target is the on-terminal intermodal railyard. TraPac in the Port of Los Angeles became the first terminal to…
