Port of Tarragona’s pilots, in real-time ship simulators, have been supporting unique navigational studies. Photo: Port of Tarrogna
The EU has confirmed funding for SafePort through its Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Felicity Landon reports.
Port-maritime engineering company, Siport21, recently announced that it had completed a feasibility study into the proposed new Baleares dock at the Port of Tarragona; this was to assess the extension plans which would allow access by large cruise vessels in phase one, and by large bulk carriers in phase two.
The study analysed the impact of the proposals in terms of safety, navigation access and effect on current and future operations. It included maritime traffic, ship manoeuvring and dynamic mooring analysis, passing ship studies and ship manoeuvring simulation.
The work included sessions with Tarragona’s pilots in the real-time ship simulator, as well as coordination with the port authority’s technical staff.
THE DRIVING FORCE
Siport21’s work will likely deliver more information than is actually required for this specific project.
The same could be said of nearly 1,000 technical studies carried out by Siport21 in 48 countries – and this is the driving force behind SafePort, the ‘Smart System for the Evaluation and Control of Maritime Safety in Port Access and Operation’.
Now moving into the first phase of development, thanks to Horizon 2020 funding, SafePort has been designed by Madridbased Siport21 to provide port and terminal operators and authorities with decision-making tools for managing the safety and efficiency of ship operations in port, in real time, as well as for the analysis and management of emergency response.
Managing director, José Iribarren, says: “SafePort is based on the Smart Port 4.0 concept. It combines simulation and modelling, integration of different digital methodologies, data collection and analysis, and prediction through machine learning algorithms.”
As a consultant specialising in the installation and implementation of ship manoeuvring models and simulators, Siport21’s technical studies over the past 21 years have generated far more information and data than was necessarily required for the design and construction of the port facilities they were tied to, he explains. SafePort can pull all of that together and make use of it.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Sometimes, timing is everything. The company first came up with the idea of SafePort a good 15 years ago. However, there were two obstacles.
First, says Mr Iribarren, potential users – port authorities – were not particularly responsive to the concept. “That was mainly due to a lack of communication between infrastructure and operational teams in ports. Now this has changed – we see more concern and more connection between the departments, and more focus on the management of port safety aspects, efficiency and environmental issues, including energy saving and avoiding congestion. These issues are being looked at in a more global way.”
Second, Siport21 had a large amount of information and data which needed to be processed using IT instruments that were ‘not as easy and cheap’ as they are today. “So, the idea was there for a long time and we made suggestions to several ports, but the market was not ready, and the tools were not there. But there has been a huge evolution in the past few years. Organisations are more open to improvement and optimisation, and more open to using all the information available as deeply as possible.”
Siport21 brings to SafePort the benefits of hundreds of studies related to operations and navigation which have generated information on tidal influences, weather conditions, ship types, port layouts, traffic and so on.
With funding now in place, it will look for partners to work with across IT companies and developers and Port Community System platforms; weather forecast agencies; and instrumentation specialists providing sensors and other systems.
NEED TO INTEGRATE ALL INFORMATION
In essence, SafePort will integrate all the information relating to the port, ship and meteorological data, and from technical analysis and studies, to put together detailed, evidence-based operational rules for ships. The plan is to build a generic system which can then be adapted to meet the needs of different ports.
As Mr Iribarren explains, decisions are frequently based on what has gone before – the way things have always been done. The idea of SafePort is that it could show ports instances, based on objective data, where they might not be making the most of possibilities, whether that is ensuring the best use of tidal windows or adjusting the timing of ship operations depending on weather conditions.
SafePort integrates all the information related to the port, ship and meteorological data; it takes efficient advantage of the set of available analyses and technical studies; it provides more detailed and well-informed operational rules for ships; it reduces discretion in the application, and considers a higher number of relevant variables. All of those are based on the intensive use of simulation, modelling and virtual media.
PORTS OF 2030
The arrival of new technologies will transform ports just as they will transform the supply chain and the production industry, says emerging technologies expert Anna Navarro.
In a study which analysed a dozen 4.0 emerging technologies that could be relevant in ports, Ms Navarro concluded that technology would reach ports in three waves.
Drones, big data, the Internet of Things, virtual reality and 5G being expected to reach maturity between 2019 and 2024; 3D printing, intelligent robots, augmented reality, blockchain and drones for light cargo delivery can be expected between 2024-2029. Beyond 2029, level 4 and 5 autonomous land vehicles and hyperloop will begin to be seen, she believes.
In a follow-up survey, more than 50% of experts questioned expected IoT, big data, autonomous vehicles, blockchain, 5G and drones to be the key technologies in ports of the future.
In reality, says Navarro, it will not be a single technology that defines what ports look like in ten years’ time, but a combination of technologies. Equally, she says, there are questions as to whether 3D printing, drones and hyperloops represent opportunities or threats for ports.
What’s clear is that the ports of 2030 will be digital ports, “thanks to the progressive incorporation of 4.0 technologies”. However, she emphasises, based on the opportunities offered by these emerging technologies, ports will have to adapt to the new digital realities of the world in which they operate, creating new business models which incorporate new ways of operating and new services to offer.
Paperless recruitment
Digitalisation is at the forefront of activities for Israel Ports Company, which develops and operates the Israeli Ports Community System (IPCS) – and it has recently won an award for the digitalisation of its recruitment processes.
“For us, being paperless is not only in trading but also about being paperless inside the company – for example, in the digitalisation of tenders and publications,” says CIO Gadi Ben-Moshe.
The company has designed a process in which all job vacancies are now published digitally, with the submission of applications also being paperless. The system, which is combined with Cloud SAP services, automatically filters out applicants without the necessary qualifications and allows applicants to find out about Israel Ports Company through an interactive tool showing the company’s structure.
Authorised managers can go into the system and evaluate candidates, avoiding duplication because all the relevant applicants and information is in one place.
“This system delivers efficiency for us and transparency for the applicants, who can find out about the company,” says Mr Ben-Moshe. “We are continually looking for ways to make things more efficient – not only outside to the port community but also within the company itself.”
BLOCKCHAIN FOR BILLS OF LADING
Israel Ports Company has also recently launched a pilot project using blockchain technology for transferring bills of lading. ZIM Shipping Company, Adama Agricultural Solutions (one of the world leaders in the agrochemical field for manufacturing materials for plant protection, and one of Israel’s largest exporters), freight forwarder and customs broker Damco Logistics and PPL 33-35, which operates Ukraine’s Port Community System, all participated in the processing of the first bill of lading through the system.
“The electronic bill of lading will constitute a significant step up in advanced technology at the ports and a significant improvement in the maritime supply chain process, by enabling a more rapid release of cargo and saving time and the cost of using courier companies,” says Mr Ben-Moshe.
“This new approach is expected to deliver significant savings in time and money to all participants in the maritime supply chain, while maintaining a high level of information security and preventing forgeries.”
