The new facility, touted as the world’s largest automated terminal, was opened on 11 December at Yangshan Island, off the coast of Shanghai. It features seven berths over 2,350m of quay, and a total area of 2.2M m2. Equipment at the new terminal so far includes 10 “automatic” STS cranes, 40 ASCs, and 50 AGVs with a battery exchange station.

Yangshan Phase IV has two 70,000t berths, and five 50,000t berths, with a capacity of 4M TEU per year in the first phase. That can be extended to 6.3M TEU in the future. ZPMC described the terminal as the only fully automated  facility with a “China core”. By this, it means the two core software systems at the terminal were developed by Chinese companies: the TOS by SIPG, and the Equipment Control System (ECS) by ZPMC. The crane control and automation system for the ASC cranes was supplied by TMEIC.

ZPMC expects Yangshan will be a springboard for it to win further contracts involving full terminal automation, both in China and abroad. In a statement, the company said: “[The terminal] marks the tremendous updating and  significant change that China has made in the mode of operation and technical application of Chinese ports.” Yangshan Phase IV features new developments in STS crane automation, as well as AGV navigation and control.

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This complete item appeared in the December 2017 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 1. To access this issue download the PDF here.