DP World has completed a real time test of an automated container handling system which has the potential to revolutionise port operations worldwide.
The trial of the Boxbay high bay storage concept at Jebel Ali port in Dubai proves that the innovative technology works in the real world, the Dubai-based port operator said.
It said in a statement that more than 63,000 container moves have been completed since the facility, which can hold 792 containers at a time, was commissioned at beginning this year.The test exceeded expectations with Boxbay faster and more energy efficient than anticipated, DP World said.
Boxbay is a joint venture between DP World and German industrial engineering specialist SMS group. The system stores containers in slots in a steel rack up to 11 high. It delivers three times the capacity of a conventional yard in which containers are stacked directly on top of each other, meaning the footprint of terminals can be reduced by 70 percent.
The whole system is designed to be fully powered by solar panels on the roof.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem (pictured below), group chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “This test proves that Boxbay can revolutionise how ports and terminals operate. The technology we have developed with our joint venture partner SMS group dramatically expands capacity, increases efficiency, and makes the handling of containers more sustainable.
“Boxbay is part of DP World’s vision to apply innovation to enable global trade and be a provider of smart logistics solutions.”
Modifications made during the trial compared to the original design further improve performance and significantly reduce investment required for future installations, he added.
Mathias Dobner, chairman and CEO of Boxbay, said: “For ports worldwide, this innovative and disruptive technology will not only increase their over-the-quay-wall handling volumes and container storage capacity, but will also allow them to make a further step towards sustainability, as power regeneration and solar panels on the roof help reduce the CO2 footprint to a minimum.”
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