Nansha Port expanding in Greater Bay Area
The hydraulic engineering construction of the fourth phase of Nansha port, the first fully automated container terminal in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, has been completed. The container yard is expected to be finished later this year.
In the active area of the terminal, which is located in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, containers are handled by intelligent guided vehicles and yard cranes, with no personnel on-site but monitored by staff at the intelligent operation center in an office building.
The automation is made possible by the Beidou satellite navigation system and technologies in fields such as 5G communication and artificial intelligence, said Xu Dejun, manager of the department of the Party works of Guangzhou Nansha United Container Terminal Co.
The bridge cranes, which load the containers on and off vessels, are controlled by remote staff in the intelligent operation center. Research is being undertaken to further automate the work of the bridge cranes. It needs to address the impact of constantly changing water levels and waves, Xu said.
The technologically advanced terminal calls for more innovation in construction, said Liao Hongzhi, general manager of China Communications Construction Co Fourth Navigation Bureau Guangzhou Nansha Branch, which is responsible for the hydraulic engineering and yard construction of the terminal.
