Emirati Ports Move Forward with Automation

The competing Emirati ports of Khalifa and Jebel Ali are moving forward with increased automation and remote operation of their container terminals.

DP World's Jebel Ali port plans to include additional automation as part of its expansion program. The port is adding a new Terminal 3, due to come online this month, and Terminal 4, which should be active in 2018. T3 will bring total annual capacity to 19 million TEU, and T4 will increase it further to 22 million.

The capacity addition at T4 will be made possible by 13 ship to shore (STS) cranes and 35 automated stacking cranes (ASCs) using automation and remote control technology from industrial controls company ABB.

The remote control system on the STS cranes is cutting edge. ABB has only recently completed the first terminal in the world with cranes lacking onboard driver's compartments, at APMT Terminals Maasvlakte II terminal in Rotterdam. The operators work in a remote control center outside of the terminal's security perimiter, saving time and permitting them to collaborate in a team environment.

Fred Hoonaard of ABB Ports said that “DP World’s concept of placing the control room . . . outside the terminal . . . simplifies the security procedures for crane operators, since they can reach their control stations without going through security control required for entering the terminal.”

AtAbu Dhabi Terminals' Khalifa container port, ten Konecranes automated rail mounted gantry (ARMG) cranes with remote monitoring and control technology will handle shoreside stacking and transfers. and the company will also provide three ship-to-shore (STS) cranes with full remote operation capability.

Khalifa was ranked the third fastest growing container port in the world and the fastest growing in the Middle East in October. In 2014 it saw a 25 percent increase in volume year on year.