Taiwan International Ports Corporation (TIPC) and Taiwanese shipping company Evergreen Marine Corp. (EMC) launched the seventh Taiwanese container terminal at the port of Kaohsiung. And the new port terminal is automated, with remote-controlled features to improve efficiency.
The smart terminal is intended to stimulate continuous expansion in shipping-related sectors in southern Taiwan, according to the companies.
Evergreen and TIPC held the official opening ceremony at the newly built Terminal 7 at Kaohsiung Port, with a host of local government officials also in attendance.
Taiwan's first completely automated container terminal, with a draft of 18m and a total length of 2,415m, features five deep-water container berths and can accommodate four 24,000 TEU super-large containerships simultaneously.
According to Evergreen, the new facility is considered to be the most important project that Taiwan’s shipping industry has undertaken in recent years.
Terminal 7, featuring remote-controlled gantry cranes, has the potential to dramatically increase the efficiency of container handling operations, with its yearly handling volume estimated to be 6.5 million TEU in the future.
EMC chairman Y.I. Chang said the new project aligns with the company’s sustainability goals: "By building the new automatic quayside operations and the unmanned yard in Terminal 7, we are able to provide more efficient, eco-friendly service to our customers and offer a better working environment for local employees, taking yet another step toward our goal of sustainable operations."
For that purpose, Terminal 7 employs a variety of smart technology and automated equipment, including gantry cranes outfitted with high-quality, environmentally friendly motors.
“We made a significant investment in automatic and energy-saving equipment and also launched 'Containerlink,' an online platform which improves service quality by integrating truck appointments for cargo delivery/pickup, container yard operation and digital payment systems,” added Chang.
Containerlink integrates the data flow of the container service chain in real time and allows clients to arrange truck appointments via the web platform, reducing truck turn-around time and lowering fuel consumption.
