Smart Port Construction Leads “Terminal Revolution”

From: Lianyungang Daily Updated: 2025-05-16 02:54

Since the beginning of this year, our city has continuously achieved new progress in smart port construction. Recently, Lianyungang Port’s New Orient International Container Terminal added four automated rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and completed the first shore crane heightening project, lifting the 1,450-ton upper structure of a shore crane by five meters. The upgraded crane can now service 20,000 TEU ultra-large container vessels, with operational efficiency increased by 30%.

“Container number successfully identified, spreader descending!” At 9:00 AM yesterday, in the remote control room of New Orient International Container Terminal, RTG operator Li stared intently at the monitoring screen. As a trailer arrived at the E08 storage yard, the RTG was already in position. “The scheduled container has been accurately unloaded to the designated location, commencing retrieval!” With his command, the RTG successfully completed the external container retrieval task.

“We’ve been intensively debugging the four newly purchased automated RTGs these days. These automated devices have improved work efficiency, optimized labor conditions, and consume only one-third of the energy compared to traditional RTGs,” said Zhu, Assistant General Manager of New Orient International Container Terminal. The terminal has already completed automated remote control upgrades for its original four RTGs, and the newly purchased four automated RTGs will soon be officially commissioned. Once these automated units are operational, they will continuously enhance the intelligent operation level and comprehensive capacity of container handling.

Unlike traditional equipment, the highlight of these newly installed automated RTGs lies in their full-process automation. Equipped with multi-dimensional sensing devices including lidar, visual cameras, and high-precision positioning systems, combined with a background intelligent dispatching system, they realize full automation from cargo identification, positioning to loading/unloading operations. Additionally, these RTGs feature advanced automated control systems enabling remote operation and intelligent scheduling, significantly reducing manual intervention and operational costs.

Notably, in line with the national strategy of “mastering core technologies in our own hands”, the terminal prioritized mature, reliable, and high-performance domestic products for critical components of the newly purchased equipment, including control systems, reduction gearboxes, and motors. The localization rate has reached nearly 100%, achieving autonomous control over automated equipment.

In addition to automated RTGs, New Orient International Container Terminal has also completed the first shore crane heightening project with an error margin controlled within 2 millimeters. Similarly, the newly intelligent Xinsu Port Terminal has just completed equipment installation for the automation upgrade of its No. 1 ship unloader. After debugging, this unloader will reduce operator workload and significantly enhance unloading efficiency.

Furthermore, the port continues to achieve breakthroughs in terminal equipment localization and intelligent upgrades. To date, it has completed joint debugging between the terminal production management system and equipment management system, along with in-depth application of big data analytics. These advancements enable real-time monitoring and intelligent scheduling of terminal operations, leading to more precise production decisions, optimized workflows, and steadily improved management levels.