chainPORT: how digitalization boosts port sustainability

Traffic management with quantum computing

MOZART (Mobility OptimiZation and Analysis in Real Time) is the name of the Port of Hamburg's project to optimize road traffic in the port facilities and in the city of Hamburg. Using quantum computing, the port has succeeded in regulating the almost 20,000 trucks that circulate daily through its facilities and that depended on the 35 traffic lights that manage the traffic, generating bottlenecks due to their lack of coordination.

 The traffic situation is determined from sensors placed in the network assigned to a traffic model. For example, if a platoon of trucks is detected, the optimal traffic control will prioritize their circulation not only at one traffic light but at the following ones to allow them to transit through the port facilities without delays.

Automated waste management at the Port of Barcelona

In the maritime sector, waste collected from ships is measured according to its volume, not its weight, causing a lack of accuracy and reliability. For this reason, the Port of Barcelona has sought to automate this process so that the information reaches the Port Information System in real time. 

A laser measures the volume of the waste, a series of cameras identify their MARPOL class, assisted by infrared technology that detects the temperature. Thanks to this system, waste collection can run 24 hours a day in an automated manner, ensuring operator confidence and avoiding pricing problems.

Port of L.A. advanced port information management

The Port of Los Angeles Port Optimizer is a cloud-based software solution that improves supply chain performance and predictability. It provides real-time information through a single portal to schedule container arrivals in advance. 

The integration of data from across the port ecosystem through machine learning helps the supply chain monitor and respond to dynamic conditions, align people and resources to optimize loading and unloading operations, and reduce emissions by increasing the terminal's operational efficiency.

Air and water quality management at the Port of Antwerp

Two initiatives of the Port of Antwerp, Smart Water Sensor and Inoses, aim to improve water sanitation and air quality. 

The first aims to put an end to fuel spills, some 150 per year, in the port. By using drones equipped with computer vision software to locate oil spills, the port can detect them faster and identify both the cause and the parties involved. 

In addition, continuous and systematic monitoring of water quality is being carried out through the use of smart water sensors that measure multiple parameters such as acidity (pH), oxygen, turbidity and conductivity. This allows the port to have a better overview of the overall water quality and facilitates faster intervention in case of incidents or emergencies.

Regarding air quality, the Belgian port is one of the largest chemical centers, producing some 50 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs). One issue that the port wants to eradicate is  illegal degassing of tanker barges. To establish a port-wide monitoring system, it has built a network of more than 70 Inoses that measure air quality in real time, especially the presence of VOCs.

Thanks to specific sensors and advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms, the air is continuously measured. If high concentrations are detected, an alarm is sent to a central station to intervene at the source of the incident.

Smart transportation at the Port of Montreal

Smart locomotive driver assistance is the project of the Port of Montreal , which, with more than 100 km of rail lines and four locomotives, offers on-dock shunting services to its rail partners. With more than 60% of its greenhouse gas emissions coming from its rail activities, in 2010 Montreal began replacing its fleet with new-generation, low-emission GenSet locomotives.

To maximize environmental benefits, in 2021 it tested an onboard control panel that makes recommendations to the driver in real time with the aim of optimizing and saving on fuel consumption based on train parameters captured by sensors. Annually, the project could reduce the port's greenhouse gas emissions by 7% and fuel consumption by 11%.

The third edition of chainPORT 'Digital Playbook' is on the way

The challenges facing the industry do not end there. As Zuesongdham says, ports cannot "stand still" in the face of the changes that the maritime, port, and logistics sector in general are undergoing, requiring adaptation to the pace imposed by these new demands.

"Ecommerce is emerging and environmental regulations are becoming increasingly stringent. So are the demands of port cities, which are asking ports to implement sustainable business models that do not neglect the role of ports as drivers of the regional economy. The world is changing and digital technologies are one of the means that will help us transform our capabilities for the benefit of society as a whole," she predicts.

Society or human capital will be, precisely, the protagonist of the third edition of chainPORT 'Digital Playbook'. The management of talent and skills in the context of digitalization in the port sector will fill the pages of an edition that, Zuesongdham says, will innovate in its format, although she cannot reveal anything more until next June.