Improvement of Container Terminal Productivity with Knowledge about Future Transport Modes: A Theoretical Agent-Based Modelling Approach

Mehdi Mazloumi,Edwin Van Hassel

doi:10.3390/su13179702

Mehdi Mazloumi, Edwin Van Hassel

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179702

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Journal: Sustainability	Publication Date: Aug 30, 2021
Citations: 5	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Antwerp Management School, University of Antwerp

Abstract

Despite all the achievements in improving container terminal performance in terms of equipment and container stacking systems (CSS), terminal operators are still facing several challenges. One of these challenges is the lack of information about further transportation modes of the container, which leads to extra movements of the container inside the stacking area. Hence, we aimed to examine factors that affect container handling processes and to evaluate a container terminal’s overall equipment effectiveness. This study used data from a container terminal at the Port of Antwerp, Belgium. An agent-based model was developed based on a block-stacking strategy to investigate two scenarios: (1) having information about further transportation modes and (2) a base scenario. The Overall Equipment Effectiveness Index (OEE) was also adopted to evaluate the container terminal’s effectiveness in both scenarios. Results showed that having information on further transportation mode significantly increased the container outflow, and the OEE index improved compared to the base scenario’s results. Therefore, we recommend an integrated data-sharing system where all the stakeholders can share their information with no fear of losing their market share.

Highlights

Due to a sharp rise in international maritime shipping, interest in container terminal operations for the seaside and landside has increased [1]
To transship a container from an origin to a destination, a collaboration among these stakeholders is needed [3]. These processes can be divided into three stages: (1) inbound containers arrive by vessels or barges and (2) are transported to a container stacking area, where (3) containers are temporarily stored for later transportation either by trains, trucks, vessels, and barges
An observation of the graph suggested that the number of containers loaded/unloaded in stacking area C always remains very low, irrespective of the initial value of 100 twentyequivalent units (TEU), compared to the function of other stacking areas

Summary

Introduction

Due to a sharp rise in international maritime shipping, interest in container terminal operations for the seaside and landside has increased [1]. To transship a container from an origin to a destination (i.e., the end-user), a collaboration among these stakeholders is needed [3] These processes can be divided into three stages: (1) inbound containers arrive by vessels or barges and (2) are transported to a container stacking area, where (3) containers are temporarily stored for later transportation either by trains, trucks, vessels, and barges. During all these stages, terminal operators need information about containers’ further transportation modes to set up their loading/unloading planning and determine the number of pieces of equipment needed for the container handling process [4]. The inefficient transfer of containers from ship to loading area is an important problem faced in container-handling facilities [5]

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