Port Efficiency Research Articles

Seaport throughput forecasting and post COVID-19 recovery policy by using effective decision‐making strategy: A case study of Vietnam ports

This study deals with the dynamic interactions between seaports and decision-making strategy for seaport operations by utilizing four-dimensional fractional Lotka-Volterra competition model under frequently disrupted by time-delay factor. Nonlinear analysis methods, including equilibrium analysis, stability evaluation, and time series investigation, are intensely explored to describe the cooperation and competition dynamics in maritime logistics. The dynamical analysis indicates that the port competition system shows a complex and highly nonlinear behaviour, notably illustrating unstable equilibria and even chaotic phenomena. Besides, nonlinear dynamical interactions in seaport management have been analysed by exploiting fractional calculus (FC) and system dynamics theory. Novel multi-criteria decision-making strategies realized by the neural network prediction controller (NNC) and adaptive fractional-order super-twisting sliding mode control (AFOSTSM) have been presented for dealing with throughput dynamics under parametric perturbations and external disturbances. Particularly, the active control algorithms are implemented to ensure the recovery strategy for throughput growth of Vietnam ports in the post-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic era. The case study has confirmed the efficacy of the proposed strategy by using system dynamics and control theory. The simulation results show that the average growth rates of container throughput can be ensured up to 7.46% by exploiting resilience management scheme. The presented method can be also utilized for providing managerial insights and solutions on efficient port operations. In addition, the control strategies with neural network forecasting can help managers obtain timely and cost-effective decision-making policy for port sustainability against unprecedented impacts on global supply chains related to COVID-19 pandemic.

Challenges confronting efficient port performance of selected countries in the Eastern Caribbean: what are the opportunities for Antigua and Barbuda?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on emerging issues threatening the Eastern Caribbean and to suggest how Antigua's Port Authority redevelopment can assist in solving a major challenge. The fact that the ports have not improved in key areas appears to be impacting the ability of carriers to maintain their service to the region. The ongoing development being undertaken in Antigua represents the first major Port improvement project ever undertaken within this part of the world. This article reflects the impact this new facility will have on Antigua and the surrounding islands.Design/methodology/approachThe main inputs to this article were an extensive review of various regional and international journals and research projects; interviews with regional academics and port professionals; personal knowledge and experience and assessment of key industry data.FindingsThe continued departure of cargo lines from the region is an issue that requires urgent attention. Regional ports are not equipped with the infrastructure, technology, labor reforms and human resource capacity to entice new entries to the region. The displacement of cargo vessels by cruise ships also remains a major issue. The Port Authority of Antigua with its modern infrastructure and a cadre of technically trained people represents an option for a hub-and-spoke port and logistic operation.Research limitations/implicationsA follow-on study could usefully analyze the reduction in container lines serving the Caribbean/Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) between 1995 to the present day and the impact on trade and shipping costs.Practical implicationsIf it can become a regional hub, the Antigua Port Authority can serve as a lifeline to struggling carriers. This could result in improved regional connectivity and profit improvement for the carriers. It could also encourage regional participation in investment and employment opportunities.Social implicationsThe result of improving connectivity and intra-regional commerce will have a significant social impact within the OECS as economic integration improves. The free movement of people will finally be supported by the free movement of goods.Originality/valueThe article considers the concept of a dedicated container terminal within the Eastern Caribbean and the additional services being offered by the first Eastern Caribbean Port to upgrade its port infrastructure in the region.

Relationship between flow field characteristics and dust collection efficiency of sweeper suction port

Urban pollution caused by road particles is widely criticized. The complex and changeable internal flow field of the dust suction port has the greatest influence of the dust suction operation effect. The aim of this paper is to explore the influence law of various influencing factors on the flow field characteristics of the sweeper’s dust suction port, and reveal its influence mechanism on the dust suction efficiency of the dust suction port. The results of the study show that: increasing the width and outlet diameter will change the flow field characteristics, and the dust suction efficiency will change accordingly, 500 mm and 280 mm are the best width and outlet diameter respectively. The increase of driving speed will increase the relative speed between the inlet surface and dust particles, causing dust particles to spill. The increase of negative pressure at the outlet will increase the flow field characteristics, but the dust suction efficiency will stop when it increases to a certain value. A new dust suction port structure is proposed to further improve the dust suction efficiency. This study can provide a reference for the design of the dust suction port.

Assessment of port efficiency within Latin America

The Panama Canal expansion has influenced the development of ports within the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region, intending to capitalise on economic opportunities through seaborne trade. Examining port performance is essential to ascertain the PCE impact on port efficiency within the LAC region. Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) was used to determine the technical efficiency of the 19 major ports within the LAC from 2010 to 2018. The result indicates that, among the four (4) port performance indicators (berth length, port area, the number of cranes (STS gantry and mobile), and the number of berths), the number of STS gantry cranes and berth length had the largest and most significant impact. Some ports with high technical efficiency experienced TEU losses despite port infrastructural development and privatization. The findings also revealed that the increased competition among regional and US East and Gulf Coast ports has negatively impacted some LAC ports’ TEU volumes due to port proximity. The dynamism of the maritime sector, especially containerization, requires ports to implement value-added services and logistics centers in tandem with port performance indicators to remain sustainable and competitive in the maritime industry.

A Study on the Efficiency Analysis of Global Terminal Operators Based on the Operation Characteristics

Shipping and port industries are undergoing rapid environmental changes because of the reorganization of carrier alliances, enlargement of ships, and an increase in global uncertainty. Thus, the sustainable operation of container terminals requires a new assessment of port efficiency and measures to enhance efficient operation. Hence, we classified 21 global terminal operators (GTOs) into stevedore, carrier, and hybrid GTOs based on their operation characteristics and derived a sustainable container terminal operation method using data envelopment analysis efficiency and Malmquist productivity index analysis. The results showed that stevedore GTOs exhibited improved efficiency when the terminal infrastructure was expanded. However, the returns to scale and technical change factors in the productivity change trend decreased. Meanwhile, the objective of carrier GTOs is cost reduction, unlike stevedore and hybrid GTOs, which focus on generating profits. Consequently, carrier GTOs were the most inefficient with little intention to improve efficiency. A systematic efficiency improvement strategy through the acquisition of a terminal share was effective for hybrid GTOs. However, similar to stevedore GTOs, investment in technical change was insufficient for hybrid GTOs. The efficiency analysis we conducted for each operation characteristic is expected to provide useful basic data for establishing efficiency improvement strategies for every GTO.

Stakeholder legitimacy and efficiency: the case of innovation at the Port of Tema, Ghana

Our study set out to explore the relationship between legitimacy in the form of social license that stakeholders grant the National Single Window Project (NSWP) and port efficiency at the Port of Tema, as well as bounding conditions on this relationship. We collected stakeholder legitimacy data in line with the social license to operate (SLO) framework on the National Single Window Project implementation at the port and stakeholder-perceived port efficiency in Tema. We found that there is an ∩-shaped relationship between legitimacy and port efficiency. We also found that port cooperation and relational intensity dampens the relationship between legitimacy and port efficiency. Our study offers an alternative to perspectives of port management that view ports as isolated units which provides a partial understanding of their functioning. We opine that viewing ports as networks of stakeholders provides an improved understanding.

Information integration efficiency in ports and port stations transport service

The presented article examines the problems that arise in the interaction of subjects of the transport and logistics process and suggests ways to solve them. At present, the carrying capacity of the Russian transport system on the approaches to the unloading areas and in ports remains insufficient. Therefore, the development of information systems is a necessary and most important condition for optimizing interaction in rail and water communication. The existing process of interaction of modes of transport in transport hubs is considered, which does not meet the modern requirements of subjects of interaction, in connection with this situation, an analysis of information integration into transport services in ports and port stations is carried out. The latest information technologies make it possible for the subjects of interaction to work in a single information field, which guarantees the relevance, integrity and consistency of information that will be used to make the necessary management decisions by all participants in the transportation process. Approbation and economic justification of measures based on the implementation of an information system at the port station in cooperation with the port showed a positive economic effect.

Analysis of container port selection criteria from the importers' perspective: a study in southern Brazil

Port selection is an important topic for scholars and practitioners, and importers have an important role in the port selection. The current study presents an analysis on port selection criteria from the point of view of importers in southern Brazil. First, a literature research was conducted to identify how port selection is structured and then the most cited criteria for port selection were identified. Using these criteria, a quantitative, descriptive and causal research was carried out through the application of a questionnaire to a sample of importers. Data were analysed by descriptive statistical analysis and multiple linear regression and it was possible to identify the most relevant port selection factors considered by the importers. Among these factors, inland transportation costs (from the port to import destination), port efficiency and infrastructure stood out. These factors accounted for 75% of the overall evaluation, according to the R2 found in the regression analysis.

ПІДВИЩЕННЯ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ РОБОТИ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ МОРСЬКОГО БІЗНЕСУ ЗА РАХУНОК ВПРОВАДЖЕННЯ ЦИФРОВІЗАЦІЇ

Digital transformation is the introduction of modern information technologies into the business processes of an enterprise.Digitization of business processes is relevant not only at the level of individual enterprises. Whole industries choose this path of development as the only way to meet the ever-changing environmental conditions. Thanks to this, the digital transformation of industry, retail trade, the public sector and other areas is already changing the life of every person and every company today.Digital transformation of business processes is aimed at companies making quick decisions, quickly adapting their work to today's requirements and meeting the needs of their customers. The process of digitization did not bypass the port activity. Digitization of business processes in this field is quite active and effective.The article analyzes the main theoretical aspects of the implementation of digitalization of business processes in port activities. The main modern trends of digital transformation, which are relevant for the port industry today, have been identified. The authors reflect the main prospective directions of the introduction of digital technologies in the activities of port enterprises.In the course of the research, the general transformational processes taking place in port activity due to the introduction of digital innovations were analyzed.An analysis of the main effective IT-solutions used in the field of port cargo handling accounting was carried out. The authors also determined how digital technologies affect the safety of transportation and the optimization of the work of the personnel of port enterprises. As a result of the study, it was established that the implementation of digitalization of business processes significantly affects the overall efficiency of the sea ports. It was determined that the use of modern digital technologies makes it possible to improve the quality of ship service, increases the throughput capacity of the sea ports, and also increases the level of security during cargo transportation.Keywords: digital technologies, digital transformation, business models, digitization of business processes.

Collaborative optimization of truck appointment system and yard cranes allocation based on ship time window

With the rapid growth of the global container trade volume and the trend of large-scale container ships. The collection and distribution port efficiency and capacity of container terminals in various countries are facing huge challenges. Due to the randomness of most of the trucks entering the port, container terminals often face the problem of traffic congestion caused by the centralized arrival of trucks in the port and the load operation of the yard operation equipment. Therefore, terminal operators urgently need to manage and optimize all aspects of terminal collection and distribution operations. This paper proposes a truck appointment system that simultaneously considers the time window of the ships and the allocation plan of the yard crans, so as to reasonably allocate the arrival time of each truck and the amount of appointment quota. By means of shortening the time window of each ship’s and rationally allocating the yard cranes operations in the blocks, human and material resources can be fully utilized, so as to alleviate the traffic pressure in the container terminal, shorten the waiting time of ships and trucks, and reduce the cost of terminal operators.

The Impact of Private Sector Participation in the Operations of Nigerian Ports Authority within the Context of Nigeria’s PPP Legal Framework

The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has always prided itself as the gateway to Nigeria’s economy. Conscious of its role to the national economy, it has over the years embarked on system reforms that progressively saw to private sector investments in its terminals, equipment and services. It utilized management contracts, joint venture partnerships, concession arrangements and amortization programmes, among diverse private sector participation models, for a more effective and efficient port operations. The glaring hypothesis is that in spite of these efforts, cargo handling has remained outrageously expensive with its corresponding spiral effect on the cost of goods to ultimate consumers. The fundamental issue, which this paper seeks to identify, is the impact or otherwise of the port reforms to the immediate and remote port’s stakeholders. Using the doctrinal method of research, the paper utilized primary and secondary sources that includes information from journals, conference papers, newspaper articles and internet searches to trace the evolution of port reforms, identify the different methods of private sector investment in ports infrastructure and services, and consider the impact of the reforms to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the port system. The paper found that the impact of the port reform was a mixed bag as the cost of cargo handling is outrageously expensive to make cost of goods unaffordable to ultimate consumers. It therefore recommended that PPP risk assessments and analyses should be more comprehensive to include transport value chain and macroeconomic forecasts; the legal framework should be amended to accommodate more innovative PPP models; the institutional framework should have the capacity to insulate transactions from political interference and official corruption; and that Federal agencies operating in the ports should be streamlined while critical ports activities should be automated to a single window so as to reduce human interventions. These recommendations, if implemented, could achieve the national aspiration of creating a preferred maritime hub in Nigeria’s ports.

Ports: the weak link in the supply chain in Algeria

Port performance is one of the essential elements to optimize the international logistics chain and guarantee the flow of world trade.
 This article exposes the problem of ports and logistics in Algeria. In fact, the control of logistics costs goes hand in hand with the commercial opening of a country. Today, voices are being raised to condemn the blatant lack of specialization at the level of Algerian ports. A specialization that contributes significantly to improving port efficiency. This study also analyzes the causes of port inefficiency in Algeria as well as the various obstacles from which the overwhelming majority of Algerian ports suffer as well as their effects on the optimization of the logistics chain.

Performance assessment of major European ports

In the recent literature, the strategic relevance of ports has improved, and this paper provides a comparative analysis of 24 European ports. The port performance has been evaluated considering data envelopment analysis and Shephard’s distance function. This latter approach offers an alternative method to address a significant restraint of the standard Stochastic Frontier when the model needs to consider multiple outputs. From a policy point of view, the conclusion could offer valuable insights to support policy measures targeted to expand port efficiency. The findings obtained from the analysis reveal that several contextual indicators must be included in benchmark analysis.

Collaborative optimization for loading operation planning and vessel traffic scheduling in dry bulk ports

While loading operation planning and vessel traffic scheduling are still deemed as two independent operations in practice, it has been realised that their collaborative optimization and coordination can improve port operation efficiency. It is because that two separate operations often result in vessels spending more waiting time when passing through channels and/or longer loading time at berth, and hence seriously affect the productivity and efficiency of ports. It is even worse in the case where multi-harbor basins share a restricted channel. Therefore, this paper aims to address the collaborative optimization of loading operation planning and vessel traffic scheduling (COLOPVTS) and to generate the optimal traffic scheduling scheme and loading operation plan for each vessel synchronously. Through analyzing the process of vessels entering and leaving dry bulk export ports, a multi-objective mathematical model of COLOPVTS is proposed. Due to the complexity of the model, a heuristic algorithm combining the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) and Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is applied to solve the model. Finally, the computational results on the practical data of Phase I and Phase II terminals in Huanghua coal port are analysed to verify the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm.

The relationship between port-level maritime connectivity and efficiency

This paper examines the empirical relationship between maritime connectivity and port efficiency. To do so, a stochastic output distance function is employed which permits the effect of connectivity on port technical efficiency to be estimated for a sample of Spanish ports. Previous studies analysing the relationship between efficiency and connectivity have used country-level connectivity indices. In the present study, port-level connectivity indices are used for the first time for this type of analysis. A novel panel dataset of 16 Spanish ports observed over the period 2006–2016 is constructed by crossing port-level connectivity information from UNCTAD's Port Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (PLSCI) with port-level production data from Spanish port authorities. The results from our estimation show a positive relationship between connectivity and port efficiency. It is found that relatively modest improvements in observed connectivity are associated with large differences in expected output.

Energy Efficiency in Ports: Comparative Performance and Cost Analysis of Heat Demand in Port Facilities Using Solar Energy

Energy efficiency for less energy consumption, as well as using eco-friendly and sustainable energy to provide port services in a most efficient way play a key role in the competitiveness of ports both at national and at international level. Port facilities are complex systems with various energy demands for different functions and applications. Renewable energy systems are applications that have been handled in recent years, especially for energy efficiency and sustainable energy management. These preferences are valuable choices not only for energy efficiency but also for reducing CO2 emissions. This study is based on the audit for evaluation of the energy consumption of a port building and saving potential with use of a concentrated solar system. Besides, CO2 emission saving potential with this preference was also examined. The energy demand of the port buildings, which uses heat and electric energy during whole year, were examined affordability of consumption with solar-powered systems. The research results indicated that the solar aided system preference provides 44.31% saving potential. At the end of the work, recommendations were given on energy efficiency and management.

Determination of the Efficiency of Port Performance and Productivity Based on Data Envelopment Analysis in the West Africa Sub-region

Background: Ports are one of the assets of every country and one way to achieve efficiency is by maximizing productivity amid limited resources. Despite the increase in the number of studies on the efficiency of container terminals, their focus has been channeled on advanced markets. Researchers conduct limited studies on container terminals in developing countries such as those of the West African region, which are located in a critical geographic place in the international maritime route between these areas and the World. Information on their potential for development relative to other terminals worldwide is therefore not readily available hence, this study seeks to provide answers to critical productivity indicators of ports in the West Africa sub-region. Methods : We evaluate the technical efficiency of the 5 major container terminals in the West African region. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach is used to measure technical efficiency and slack variable analysis which identifies potential areas of improvement for inefficient terminals. Moreover, DEA can handle multiple inputs and outputs, which makes it applicable to the port analysis. Findings: The results indicate that the Tema port is the most efficient port among the sample, with an average efficiency of 100% in the nine years and the Port of Cotonou is the least efficient with an average efficiency of 44% and exhibits substantial waste in production throughout the nine-year analysis. Novelty: This is the first time that the current data from 2010- 2018 has been used to determine port efficiency and the efficiency scores are necessary indicators for terminal managers to adopt and sustain all the necessary alignments to structures and strategies. Keywords: Data envelopment analysis; productivity improvement; efficiency; port management; West Africa

Side-scan sonar image processing: Seabed classification based on acoustic backscattering

The smoothness of vessel traffic flow is the most important thing in the shipping industry of port. Traffic problems are commonly solved by development and maintenance programs. Seabed conditions in the port-channel should be known to be considered in port development and maintenance programs related to port efficiency, safety navigation, and berthing. The objective of this paper is to characterize seabed into several classes of geological features. The Seabed condition and characteristics are classified based on image processing of side scan sonar data. The image processing will extract pixel value parameters; intensity, entropy, and standard deviation. Classification use combination of these pixel view parameter to define each class. Seabed classification has been successfully carried out in Teluk Bayur Port and classified into five classes, sandy silt, silty sand, fine sand, coarse sand, and rocks or reefs. Indication of crack or shallow structure was also identified. These results of classification are necessary to verify by sediment sampling and visual inspection, and then it should be reclassified to become a valid classification.

Evaluation of the components of intelligence and greenness in Iranian ports based on network data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach

PurposeCreating green ports, while observing international and international standards and maritime conventions and regulations and moving toward smart ports, can increase the speed of goods transfer, enable the tracking of ships and goods, increase the transparency of statistics, increase the quality and capacity of ports and reduce costs. Hence, the purpose of this study the development and evaluation of ports play a key role in their commercial success. Development policies can be formulated for these ports by properly evaluating their performance indicators. On the other hand, traditional methods of performance evaluation cannot provide a good multidimensional evaluation of the status of ports.Design/methodology/approachMore than 90% of the world’s heavy transit today is carried out by the sea. With this volume of freight, transit accidents are inevitable for ships passing through oceans, seas, waterways, rivers, ports and mooring at docks. Besides, gases from ships’ fuels at sea, especially in ports, oil spills due to maritime incidents, the negligence of the ship’s crew, the use of port equipment, dirty fuel of diesel power substations, etc., have increased greenhouse gases, polluted the environment and endangered human lives.FindingsA new approach has been introduced in the field of port performance evaluation based on the components of greenness and intelligence. This approach performs evaluations in two stages and a network. In this study, the performance of 11 Iranian ports was evaluated based on the network data envelopment analysis approach in 2 stages of greenness and intelligence during 4 years. The results indicated that only 5% of the ports meet the standards of intelligence and greenness.Originality/valueOn the other hand, as shown in the above studies, the issue of green ports is directly related to the development of animal and plant ecosystems in the seas and the environment around ports. The presence of pollution in the ports has caused the animal and plant habitats around the ports to face a complete pollution crisis or to be completely destroyed. Therefore, the development of green port concepts in third world countries will help prevent environmental pollution of the seas. Therefore, it is necessary for ports to review their strategic maritime transport model and use the development of green port indicators in their implementation processes. Therefore, the strategic development of green ports is created to create and benefit from the components of intelligence, and as mentioned in previous research, intelligence and greenness are in line and the lack of development of one of the concepts causes defects in others. According to reports provided in Iran’s maritime transport systems, most accidents have led to environmental disasters during the absence of intelligent equipment. The use of smart technologies prevents all environmental damage and the development of port services. On the other hand, in evaluating the published articles in the field of development of green and smart ports, so far, the components of intelligence and greenness have not been evaluated and analyzed in a practical and operational way in ports and only the influencing the development of agents on each other has been done (Chen, 2019). Therefore, evaluating the efficiency of ports based on green components and intelligence causes ports to fundamentally review their executive infrastructure and take an active part in the global green development plan.

Deep Learning for Imputation and Forecasting Tidal Level

Tidal observations influence the transport efficiency of international commercial ports and can be affected by mechanical failures or typhoon-induced storms. These factors cause observational interruptions, which lead to tidal data loss or anomaly. Thus, the applicability of the data is reduced. Existing methods still have certain limitations in accurately predicting the tide level because of the omission of a large amount of data. Therefore, missing value imputation and tide level forecasting of tidal data are crucial topics in tidal observation study. In this study, we propose a deep learning algorithm for missing value imputation and tide level forecasting of tidal data. The test data are obtained from the tidal data of Keelung Port, Taipei Port, Tamsui Port, Taichung Port, Jiangjun Port, Anping Port, Kaohsiung Port, Hualian Port, Suao Port, and Penghu Port, constructed by the Harbor and Marine Technology Center, Taiwan. The average error value for conducting missing value imputation is 0.086 m ± 5%, and the average error value for tide level forecasting is 0.071 m. The experimental results reveal that the deep neural network has better performance than the traditional statistical methods and other artificial neural networks.