World’s 1st fully automated container terminal now equipped

Wednesday, 13 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Kalmar and Navis, parts of Cargotec, have delivered the first OneTerminal automation solution to International Container Terminal Services Incorporated (ICTSI) at the Port of Melbourne, Australia.

The deployment has made Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT) the world’s first fully automated international container handling facility, according to Cargotec.

Located north of Port Phillip Bay at the mouth of the Yarra River in the Port of Melbourne’s Webb Dock East, the 35-hectare terminal has an annual capacity of one million plus TEU and an additional 400,000 TEUs on full build.

VICT has a straight berth of 660 meters, which can accommodate two large vessels with capacities of up to 8,000-12,500 TEUs at once.

“VICT was designed and is now equipped, to be fully automated, making it the most advanced container terminal in the world,” Christian Gonzalez, VICT Chairman and Senior Vice President of ICTSI’s Asia Pacific Region, commented.

“The project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule. This has never been achieved in the port industry for a fully automated terminal. It is especially noteworthy when considering the unprecedented complexity of the civil works requirements, along with the level of pioneering automation governing the design,” Gonzalez added.

Kalmar’s OneTerminal deployment at VICT includes the Kalmar Automatic Stacking Crane (ASC) system with 20 ASCs, 11 Kalmar AutoShuttles(TM), Kalmar Automated Truck Handling (ATH), Kalmar Terminal Logistics System (TLS) and the Navis N4 Terminal System. Additionally, Kalmar provided a range of project services required to deploy and support the solution.

“With our complete end-to-end automation system at Kalmar’s Technology and Competence Centre in Tampere, Finland, and the multi-assembly units in China and Poland, we were able to deliver our equipment months ahead of schedule. The software solution combining Kalmar TLS and Navis N4 Terminal System was pre-integrated and tested before the delivery, speeding up the deployment,” Tero Kokko, Senior Vice President, Kalmar Automation and Projects, explained.

“The N4 Terminal System will allow VICT to optimise operations, speed turnaround times and deliver a new level of unprecedented efficiency in key areas of the terminal,” Mark Welles, VP and GM of Asia Pacific at Navis, said.

In 2014, VICT signed a 26-year concession with the Port of Melbourne Corporation to build, operate and expand the container terminal.