Pusan Newport Corporation (PNC), a subsidiary of DP World, has commenced work to integrate BOXBAY technology following a successful proof of concept at Jebel Ali port. The high-bay storage (HBS) system technology will increase efficiency, safety and sustainability at the South Korean terminal. This is the first commercial use of BOXBAY.
A contract was signed on March 8 between Pusan Newport Corporation (PNC) and Boxbay FZCO, a joint venture of DP World and German plant technology supplier, SMS Group, initiating the design and engineering works for the site.
PNC already operates one of the highest performing container terminals in Asia. The addition of BOXBAY’s technology will allow PNC to boost its efficiency even further.
The BOXBAY HBS technology will be integrated along with the existing mode of ARMG/truck operations as a retrofit on an existing empty storage area. The system allows direct access to each container at any time, eliminating 350,000 unproductive moves per year. This will improve the overall truck servicing time by 20 percent.
BOXBAY is fully automated with additional safety features built in. DP World also intend to power it by using solar power, generated by photovoltaic panels on the roof of the storage system, complementing DP World’s drive to decarbonize operations.
Tiemen Meester, COO Ports & Terminals, DP World, said: “We have long invested in new and innovative technology that will improve and modernize our ports and terminals. It’s a tremendous step forward to announce our first commercial use of BOXBAY. The PNC terminal is an exemplary operation that is already technologically advanced and forward focused.
“With the introduction of the BOXBAY high-bay storage system, we will be able to better serve our customers while keeping our people safe and cutting carbon emissions from the environment.”
DP World developed BOXBAY in a joint venture with SMS group, who originally created the storage system to handle heavy metal coils. Having proven the technology in the metals industry, it was refined for port logistics.
DP World and SMS built a pilot facility at Jebel Ali’s Terminal 4 in January 2021. By the end of June 2022, 190,000 container movements had been carried out under realistic operating conditions to verify the market maturity of the system.
Photo credit: iStock/ Mirko Kuzmanovic. Port of Busan.
