Container Port Research Articles

Forecasting future electric power consumption in Busan New Port using a deep learning model

As smart and environmentally friendly technologies and equipment are introduced in the sea port industry, electric power consumption is expected to rapidly increase. However, there is a paucity of research on the creation of electric power management plans, specifically in relation to electric power consumption forecasting, in ports. In order to address this gap, this study forecasts future electric power consumption in Busan New Port (South Korea's largest container port) and, comparing this with the current standard electric power supply capacity, investigated the feasibility of maintaining a stable electric power supply in the future. We applied a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model trained using electric power consumption and throughput data of the last 10 years to forecast the future electric power consumption of Busan New Port. According to the results, electric power consumption is expected to increase at an annual average of 4.9 % until 2040, exceeding the predicted annual 4.7 % increase in throughput during the same period. Given these results, the current standard electric power supply capacity is forecast to reach only 35 % of demand in 2040, indicating that additional electrical power supply facilities will be needed for stable port operation in the future.

Resilience Evaluation of Ports along the Maritime Silk Road from the Perspective of Investment and Construction

Since the establishment of the “Belt and Road” initiative, the investment and construction of ports along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road have received extensive attention from the international community. The evaluation of ports is of great significance to investors’ investments and construction of ports around the world, so it is very necessary to establish a reasonable port evaluation system. At present, there are few studies on defining and evaluating port resilience, and the existing port evaluation index system has defects. Therefore, according to the similarity between cities and ports, this paper introduces the concept of “three-dimensional space” and the “system of systems” theory of cities and divides the resilience of ports along the Maritime Silk Road into three-dimensional spaces of “physical-society-information.” The CRITIC-entropy method and the TOPSIS method constructed a port resilience evaluation model along the Maritime Silk Road and quantitatively evaluated and analyzed the comprehensive resilience and subspatial resilience of 28 ports along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The results show that the route network port degree, the annual throughput of the port container, and the number of fixed broadband subscribers per 100 people are the key indicators that affect the port’s physical space resilience, social space resilience, and information space resilience. Also, coordinated physical, social, and information spatial resilience development plays a catalytic role in improving overall resilience. Therefore, the investment of ports along the Maritime Silk Road should adopt corresponding and more targeted investment plans according to the actual resilience of each port. The research provides new ideas and directions for investors to invest in port construction and has certain practical guiding significance for the increase of investors’ income and the sound development of the national economy.

A risk assessment model of work safety in container dry ports

Risk assessment of work safety in container dry ports (CDPs) was conducted by adopting a continuous risk matrix (CRM) based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The study consisted of (a) identifying risk factors (RFs) for work safety at CDPs, (b) adopting the fuzzy AHP approach to estimate the likelihood and consequence weights of RFs and (c) developing a CRM to evaluate the risk level of work safety in CDPs. For the empirical study, CDPs in Vietnam were surveyed to verify the research model. The proposed CRM can be used as a reference for theoretical methodologies in risk-assessment research. At the same time, the empirical study can provide practical information for dry port managers to improve their performance towards work safety.

The Biological and Anthropogenic Soundscape of an Urbanized Port - the Charleston Harbor Estuary, South Carolina, USA.

Soundscape ecology provides a long-term, noninvasive approach to track animal behavior, habitat quality, and community structure over temporal and spatial scales. Using soniferous species as an indicator, biological soundscapes provide information about species and ecosystem health as well as their response and resiliency to potential stressors such as noise pollution. Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, USA provides important estuarine habitat for an abundance of marine life and is one of the busiest and fastest growing container ports in the southeast USA. Six passive acoustic recorders were deployed in the Charleston Harbor from December 2017 to June 2019 to determine biological patterns and human-associated influences on the soundscape. Anthropogenic noise was detected frequently across the estuary, especially along the shipping channel. Despite this anthropogenic noise, biological sound patterns were identified including snapping shrimp snaps (Alpheus spp. and Synalpheus spp.), fish calling and chorusing (Sciaenidae and Batrachoididae families), and bottlenose dolphin vocalizations. Biological response to anthropogenic activity varied among trophic levels, with decreased detection of fish calling when anthropogenic noise occurred and increased dolphin vocalizations in the presence of anthropogenic noise. Statistically, fine-scale, temporal patterns in biological sound were not clearly identified by sound pressure levels (SPLs), until files with anthropogenic noise presence were removed. These findings indicate that SPL patterns may be limited in their interpretation of biological activity for noisy regions and that the overall acoustic signature that we find in more pristine estuaries is lost in Charleston Harbor.

Study of channel upgrades and ship choices of river-shipping of port access-transportation

This study builds a bi-level programming model to optimize river channel upgrades and liner operation, while minimizing the total cost of container transportation to ports. The upper model determines the optimal channel upgrades, choice of liner size, and liner operating frequency. The sum of the trucking freight, the river liner shipping cost, the CO2 tax payment, and the depreciation of the investments in channel upgrades and ship purchases is calculated based on official projections of freight demand over 30 years. The lower model determines the optimal container routes. A case study of Zhejiang Province shows that Qiantang River and Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal should be upgraded from Level Ⅳ to Level III waterways, while the Meihu and Zhajiasu Lines should be upgraded from Level Ⅴ to Level IV waterways. Due to these improvements, the mode share of river shipping is projected to increase to 30%, while CO2 emissions from container port access transportation are estimated to decrease by 23.5 million tons over 30 years.

Market access and seaport efficiency: the case of container handling in Norway

Comprehensive studies on the impact of market access on port efficiency are scarce, and the problem that market access indicators are potentially endogenous lacks treatment in maritime economics. This paper offers both theoretical and empirical advances to fill these research gaps. First, it pioneers in the use of Stochastic semi-Nonparametric Envelopment of Z variables Data for measuring port efficiency, and further develops the methodology for panel data and proposes an instrumental variable extension for dealing with endogenous market access indicators. Second, it advances the empirical port literature by developing a unique panel dataset on Norwegian container ports encompassing a comprehensive set of foreland and hinterland connectivity measures. Our comprehensive assessment suggests that the role of market access in determining port efficiency is uncertain.

Operational-based decarbonization of container ports: The case of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port

In recent years, the shipping industry has witnessed significant growth in its operations and is considered to be one of the fastest-growing sectors regarding energy consumption and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2-e). Due to an increasing mandate for the reduction of carbon footprint, ports are developing policies to aid this initiative by upgrading outdated facilities, enhancing operational processes, and incorporating sustainable technologies. This study analyses the impact of the decarbonization strategies adopted in Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in an operation-based scenario and accounts for both the energy saved and for CO2 emissions. Incremental annual energy savings of 2.6, 3.0, and 3.7 (× 103 tce) in 2013, 2014, and 2015 respectively were achieved. From 2013, a 14% reduction in total CO2 emissions was achieved. However, considering annual energy consumption, an estimated reduction from 2.26 tonnes CO2-e/tce to 1.77 tonnes CO2-e/tce (approximately 22%) was obtained.

Evaluation of container port sustainability using WASPAS technique using on type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers

According to the common opinion in the literature, the sustainability of container ports is a tremendously complex topic owing to the maritime sector's excessively dynamic form and many highly complex, predictable and unpredictable uncertainties in this industry. The current paper proposes two powerful, practical, inspiring approaches to fill these gaps. It proposes a novel type-2 neutrosophic fuzzy numbers (T2NFNs) based Delphi method to determine the criteria logically and optimal and extends the WASPAS technique based on the T2NFNs for evaluating the alternatives. The current paper presents practical managerial implications that many stakeholders can consider, such as port authorities, ship owners, logistics service providers, governments, and local authorities, when making strategic and managerial decisions. In addition, the results of a comprehensive sensitivity analysis performed to test the robustness and applicability of the model approve the validity of the proposed T2NFN-based integrated approach.

Safety Perceptions among Ship-to-Shore (STS) Crane Operators at PT Terminal Teluk Lamong

Introduction: Ship-to-shore (STS) crane operators strive for efficiency in their work, but they must take a hard look at their high-risk jobs. It is necessary to learn how to improve occupational safety and health. This study aims to investigate the problems faced by STS crane operators working in container ports and to understand the importance of fit-for-work monitoring procedures, particularly for individuals working in high-risk industries such as STS operators. Methods: This study used a qualitative approach, and data were collected through interviews and observations of STS operators and in-house clinic staff. Nine STS operators, two in-house clinic staff, and two safety, health, and environment (SHE) staff were interviewed. Results: This study found that container terminal companies emphasise two critical aspects for STS operators: productivity and occupational safety and health. STS operators face health problems, including physical and psychological problems, due to the fast-paced work system, sleep patterns, daily activities, and thoughts that are difficult to control. Employees have coping mechanisms to deal with fatigue, and stakeholders have effectively communicated the company's safety and health culture. Most stakeholders in a container terminal company want a fit-for-work monitoring system to make the business efficient and sustainable. Conclusion: The STS industry faces a significant problem with operator fatigue, which can negatively impact safety and productivity. This issue requires a comprehensive strategy, including legislation to regulate working hours and shift patterns, technology to combat fatigue, and operator education and training.

Cost Advantages of Far East/Europe Trunk Route Deployment With Port Selection in East Asia

To cater to the gradually increasing sizes of ships, several traditional container ports in East Asia built deep-water wharves to attract shipping carriers to berth, a decision that is considered highly reasonable because it allows for shipping carriers to gain a cost advantage. For traditional Far East/Europe (F/E) trunk routes, shipping carriers must deploy vessels that are large enough at hub ports to maintain low transshipment costs. However, for a port to attract shipping carriers, it should be able to first meet the cargo demand of these carriers. The port would also need to improve the loading ratio to enjoy the cost advantage. Simultaneously, the port should leverage the loading and unloading efficiency of the terminal to gain a competitive advantage. Although the port congestion observed at the F/E trunk during COVID-19 was not as serious as that in North American ports, it was sufficient to affect the route deployment and port selection decisions of shipping carriers. Currently, because the size of container carriers is the most critical factor in the reduction of shipping costs, as demonstrated in this study, the upsizing trend of container ships is regarded as a highly relevant aspect in the deployment of trunk routes and the selection of hub ports.

A heuristic algorithm for equipment scheduling at an automated container terminal with multi-size containers

With the increasing volume of shipping containers, container multimodal transport and port scheduling have attracted much attention. The allocation and dispatching of handling equipment to minimize completion time and energy consumption have always been a focus of research. This paper considers a scheduling problem at an auto-mated landmaritime multimodal container terminal with multi-size containers, in which operating facilities and equipment such as quay cranes, vehicles, yard cranes, and external container trucks are involved. Moreover, the diversity of container sizes and the location of handshake areas in yards are concerned. A mixed integer program-ming model is established to schedule all operating facilities and equipment. To solve the mathematical model is a NP-hard problem, which is difficult to be solved by conventional methods. Then we propose a heuristic algorithm which merges multiple targets into one and designs an improved genetic algorithm based on the heuristic combi-nation strategy in which 20-ft containers are paired-up to the same yard before allocation. After that, some exper-iments are designed to prove the effectiveness of the model and the algorithm. The effect of configurations on efficiency and energy consumption under different conditions is discussed, and the influences of different parame-ters and the proportion of 20-ft containers are also compared. Furthermore, the influence of locations of hand-shake area with different yard quantities are compared. To conclude, there is an optimal number of equipment to be allocated. If few equipment is used, the operation time will be prolonged; if too many, the energy consumption will be increased. When the yard operation is the bottleneck, the handover location should be in the centre, other-wise other locations might be feasible. When the proportion of 20-ft containers that can be combined is large, the method proposed in this paper has advantages over traditional methods. The proposed algorithm has made a breakthrough in improving efficiency and reducing energy consumption.

A Study on Competitiveness Improvement of Chittagong Container Port

Purpose - Market structure is crucial to identify as it defines the market states for new and existing container ports to perform within a given region. the study aims to compare the major ports in the Bay of Bengal in the context of Chittagong Port.
 Design/methodology/approach - For this study, the past 9 years of container volume data have been collected and analyzed through the HHI index, BCG matrix and shift effect analysis. Based on the analysis, this study has found that the Chittagong Port is in an oligopoly competitive market structure.
 Findings - The findings have shown that port in low market share and low growth in very recent years with the moderately concentrated ports HHI index. The shift effect analysis shows that the container volumes shifted from one port to another in the 2019 and 2020 periods. This study is the pioneer study in the Bay of Bengal region to identify the market structure, analyze market share and growth, and analyze the market concentration.
 Research implications or Originality - Future recommendations for the port authority is to take advantage of geolocation; attract international; tax exemption, faster clearance process, reduced waiting charges; increasing storage and technological machinery; promoting maritime logistics education; promoting Chittagong tourism; collaboration with other countries. Also, this study can be used as basic data for the establishment of a new supply chain between Korea and Southwest Asia for the Korean government and companies.

The Evolution of the Waterfront Utilization and Sustainable Development of the Container Ports in the Yangtze River: A Case Study of the Yangtze River Delta

Waterfront resources are an important support system for the social and economic development within the region along the Yangtze River. Container ports are an important component of the Yangtze River port system, as well as for the growth point of waterfront utilization. Based on the summary of remote sensing images and relevant data, this paper calculates the waterfront utilization of the container ports along the Yangtze River in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), analyzes the waterfront organization pattern and change characteristics, and puts forward the enlightenment and countermeasures for the sustainable development of the port waterfronts. Extending the study of port resources from coastal areas to inland areas is an academic contribution of this paper. At the same time, it has practical significance for the high-quality development of port and shipping and the development and protection of land resources along the Yangtze River. In the YRD, the waterfront utilization of container ports has increased along the Yangtze River, showing a decrease from downstream to upwards, and it has formed dense zones attached to the central cities and major manufacturing bases. The ports with higher length of waterfront are mostly located in the shipping central cities and the Yangtze River estuary. The development direction of container ports is large-scale and specialized. The utilization of the container port waterfront is approaching the periphery of the city and areas with convenient transportation. The utilization of container port shorelines will be close to the periphery of the city and convenient transportation areas. The container port waterfronts occupy the ecological reserve, and the conflicts are expanding with the development of shipping, mainly distributed in the Yangtze River estuary. Based on the empirical analysis, this paper puts forward four enlightenments. First, the exploitation and utilization of the port waterfront has experienced multiple stages of “exploitation—conflict—mitigation”. With the transformation of productive waterfront utilization, the pattern of sustainable development along the Yangtze River has changed. Secondly, the conflict between waterfront utilization and protection is inevitable. Additionally, it is necessary to face up to the temporary rapid rise of encroachment on the reserve. Third, through the horizontal coordination of the port system along the river, the original focus on the hub cities will be transferred to the comprehensive consideration of the port cities in the whole region, and the waterfront load of different types of container ports can be balanced. Fourth, the Yangtze River Delta integration mechanism can solve the barriers between higher and lower levels or between different departments and cities.

Resilience Regulation Strategy for Container Port Supply Chain under Disruptive Events

There are many inevitable disruptive events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters and geopolitical conflicts, during the operation of the container port supply chain (CPSC). These events bring ship delays, port congestion and turnover inefficiency. In order to enhance the resilience of the CPSC, a modified two-stage CPSC system containing a container pretreatment system (CPS) and a container handling system (CHS) is built. A two-dimensional resilience index is designed to measure its affordability and recovery. An adaptive fuzzy double-feedback adjustment (AFDA) strategy is proposed to mitigate the disruptive effects and regulate its dynamicity. The AFDA strategy consists of the first-level fuzzy logic control system and the second-level adaptive fuzzy adjustment system. Simulations show the AFDA strategy outperforms the original system, PID, and two pipelines for improved dynamic response and augmented resilience. This study effectively supports the operations manager in determining the proper control policies and resilience management with respect to indeterminate container waiting delay and allocation delay due to disruptive effects.

Capacity investment of shore power berths for a container port: Environmental incentive and infrastructure subsidy policies

China has vowed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. The emissions generated by the shipping industry cannot be ignored. Shore power or cold ironing is one of the commonly-used technologies to reduce emissions from berthing vessels for port cities. The port is the executor of power capacity investment. The over-investment of the power capacity causes lower utilization and capital waste, while the under-investment results in service congestion and reduces the enthusiasm of vessels to use shore power berths (SPBs). This paper investigates the optimal capacity of SPBs by considering the choice behaviors of vessels with power receiving facilities (VWs) on SPBs and traditional berths (TBs). Furthermore, we consider that the government adopts two mechanisms of the environmental incentive (EI) and infrastructure subsidy (IS) to develop a bi-level mathematical programming problem to realize that government subsidies promote the capacity investment of port authorities on SPBs. The government rewards the port authority according to the environmental improvement under the EI policy and subsidizes the port authority based on the infrastructure capital cost under IS policy. The subsidy and reward rates can affect the port authority to change the capacity decision of SPBs and then affect the total emission reduction. Both IS and EI mechanisms can promote the installation of shore power in ports, and IS can achieve the best emission reduction effect.

Research on the effect of number of yard trucks on container terminal throughput

Container terminal productivity is a benchmark for the level of effectiveness of a container port. One indicator of container terminal productivity level can be calculated through yard throughput. Several factors affect yard throughput, one of which is the number of truck terminals. This study aims to investigate the effect of the number of truck terminals on yard throughput at a container terminal. The investigation was conducted using a container terminal simulation which was based on the discrete event simulation method. As a case study, a simulation of a container terminal with a dock length of 300 m with several quay cranes was two units. The simulation was done by parameters adding the number of truck terminals and variations in the capacity of ships coming. The results of the simulation show that an increase in the number of truck terminals affects the number of outputs, depending on the size of the loading and unloading vessels. From the simulation results obtained, the largest yard throughput capacity of 809 containers with the number of truck terminals is 8 units on a shipload of 1,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. The results of this study provide an overview of the needs of the truck terminal in the container terminal. Highlights The yard throughput of the container terminal has been investigated by a simulation model built based on a discrete event simulation The discrete event simulation has obtained the effect of increasing the number of truck terminals on the yard throughputs with container capacity variations from 200 - 1,000 TEUs The increase in speed at the truck terminal is insignificant to increase yard throughput and necessary to do integrated scheduling between the truck terminals, quay cranes, and gantry cranes The increase in the quay crane operation in container terminals will decrease the dwell time of container throughput

Connectivity and competitiveness of the major Mediterranean container ports using ‘Benefit-of-the-Doubt’ and ‘Common Sets of Weights’ methods in Data Envelopment Analysis

Connectivity and competitiveness of the major Mediterranean container ports using ‘Benefit-of-the-Doubt’ and ‘Common Sets of Weights’ methods in Data Envelopment Analysis

Port Efficiency Evaluation of Turkish Container Ports Based on DEA-SCOR Model: An Effective Sea Gateways in Türkiye for One Belt and One Road Initiative

This study aims to investigate the relative operational efficiency of major Turkish container ports based on the Data Envelopment Analysis - Supply Chain Operations Reference (DEA-SCOR) model. While Turkish export and import figures are growing, the scientifical studies on operational efficiency of Turkish ports are gaining more attention day by day. Of course, one of the important import countries is China for Türkiye and BRI (One Belt and One Road Initiative) tends to support Turkish trade between western and eastern countries. Therefore, Turkish ports’ efficiencies should be identified and suggestions have been presented for further development. The sampling frame was chosen from the members of TURKLIM and therefore, the SCOR and Data Envelopment Methodology examined 23 seaports. Both methodologies are generally used for analyzing the operational efficiency of ship inward-outward and stackings. The findings of the study show that four major ports are the most efficient gateways to handle inward and outward container traffic with their input variables. However, there are some challenges in port investment for BRI. This study should be used for the further analysis in the sector reports and scientific papers.

Container Port Employees’ Organizational Culture Perception, Job Satisfaction & Intention to Stay at Work

Employees’ importance has recently started to be discussed by maritime organizations with the emergence of employee-oriented management strategies. While organizations are competing in today’s wild market environment, the success of companies depends on keeping employees happy. Besides job satisfaction of the employees trigger their performance especially in the maritime sector. This study aims to reveal the relationship among organizational culture, job satisfaction and intention to stay at work in a container port management organization. Data obtained through an online Likert-scale questionnaire of organizational culture perception, job satisfaction and intention to stay at work from 302 land-based employees of a Turkish port operator organization were tested with the Structural Equation Model. The uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, time-oriented, power distance, individuality dimensions of organizational culture have been tested. Results showed that the time-orientation dimension of organizational culture is effective on job satisfaction and job satisfaction has a positive effect on the intention to stay at work.

Evaluation of Japanese port policies through network analysis

Although the Japanese government has implemented port reforms since the 1990s in response to declining international competitiveness of Japan's container ports, Japanese ports have continued to decline, at least in terms of containerized cargo handling volume. However, since the relative share of port handling volumes would naturally decline with the growth in other emerging Asian economies, it may be unfair to evaluate Japan's port policies or international presence solely in terms of cargo handling volume. This study evaluates Japan's port policies based on centrality analysis of Keihin and Hanshin Ports, which are the targets of the policies, in the context of global maritime container network. The results of the network analysis reveal that the rankings of Keihin and Hanshin in each centrality index have declined while major ports in Asia have consistently ranked high in the global marine container transport network. However, the increased importance of the Asian major ports in the network, combined with the strengthening of links of both ports to other Asian major ports, does not result in a decline in the presence of Keihin and Hanshin in the network as much as a decline in the ranking of cargo handling volume. In addition, the three scenario analyses confirm that Keihin and Hanshin would be further enhanced if the policy goal of strengthening domestic hub functions is fully achieved, and that a policy shift to dependence on hub ports in Asia for transshipment functions would ensure their presence on the network. In addition, as Japanese ports are highly dependent on Pusan, they are extremely vulnerable to the malfunction of Pusan in terms of network structure; thus, making Keihin and Hanshin function as domestic hubs is crucial to address this problem. Moreover, considering the vulnerability in the network structure in addition to the centrality index helps evaluate the reasonableness of Japan's port policies.