China National Maritime Day | In-Depth Analysis of Smart Navigation Cases

July 11th marks the 20th China National Maritime Day, with the?theme for this year being "Smart Navigation?Delivers the Accessible?Future."?In the face of the century's sweeping changes, highlighted by the pandemic, the shipping industry is facing multiple challenges.?Amidst these challenges, numerous shipping companies have proactively engaged in digital construction?to enhance smart port operations, wharf construction,and information processing through digital empowerment.?Each production operation needs enhancing its control standards to improve?the efficiency and informatization of smart port wharves,thereby promoting?the sustainable and high-quality development of the port and shipping industry.?This time, E-PORTS introduces the smart navigation cases that have emerged in recent years,?injecting new vitality into the future of smart navigation.

?

The Case of Ningbo-Zhoushan Smart Port

?

Ports, as hubs of transportation and gateway?for international exchanges, play a pivotal role in promoting international trade and regional development.In 2018, mainland China held 8 of the top 10 spots in global cargo throughput, and accounted for 7 of the top 20 container ports worldwide.Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, one of the national main ports, has been ranked first in the world in cargo throughput for seven consecutive years and third in container throughput.

?

Through the innovative application trial of 5G + smart ports , gantry cranes?can realize the transportation of 70?percent?of the containers at the wharf by remote control.?Such breakthrough helps reduce?the?pilots of?port operators?by 2/3, save labor costs by 70%, and increase?production efficiency by 30%.?The 5G remote-controlled gantry crane, as a pioneering exploration of smart ports, can serve as a robust guide to?the future prospects?of port intelligence.?It will help construct the unmanned ports and improve?port operation, and certainly promote the development of the port and shipping industry?in the long run.

?

China's?R&D Project?for?Intelligent?Ship Navigation and?Control Key Technology

?

According to the national key R&D plan, China Waterborne Transport Research Institute?of the Ministry of Transport, Smart Navigation (Qingdao) Technology Co., Ltd., and 21 other institutions put?the "Intelligent?Ship Navigation and Control Key Technology Based on Ship-Shore Collaboration" project?in place?from 2019 to 2021.

They proposed the theory of intelligent navigation?featuring?ship-shore collaboration, concluding?several standards including the "Guidelines for the Construction of Intelligent Navigation System?Featuring Ship-Shore?Collaboration."

They developed a maritime intelligent navigation system that integrates auxiliary, remote control, and autonomous navigation?modes with automatic berthing and unberthing."Zhi Fei", an?intelligent navigation container ship ,was designed and built, and it met the requirements of the?intelligent navigation test system marked by?its successful trial navigation in?the Qingdao maritime experimental test field (244 square nautical miles) .The "Zhi Fei" with?a total length of 117.15 meters?features a container capacity of 316 TEU, a full load displacement of 7775.6 tons, and a draft of 5 meters.

It is the world's largest newly built autonomous navigation ship that has been put into commercial operation?at the earliest time.?Since April 22, 2022, it has sailed more than 400 voyages and over 20,000 nautical miles, with the intelligent navigation system running safely at all times.

The Case of Intelligent Shipping Service

Smart port and shipping services?have seen an improvement featuring innovations at ports and wharves, as well as intelligent port and shipping services. The shipping service industry is a key locomotive?for the spatial improvement and the economy?of port cities and serves as?a core factor?in enhancing the global competitiveness of hub port cities. The shipping service industry is generally divided into basic shipping services (mainly including the main business of port and shipping, as well as auxiliary services such as ship management, ship supply, ship agency, and freight forwarding that ensure?the secure operation of the main business) and derived shipping services (mainly including professional services?such as shipping finance, insurance, arbitration, and consulting). With the support of smart shipping service platforms, ships in ports will?witness the improved operational efficiency,?which will in turn promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional shipping service industries. E-PORTS, a player in the global intelligent ship service management platform,?provides comprehensive maritime service solutions for ships in ports worldwide. To be specific, the company provides?high-caliber?shipping services for various enterprises and operators?within?the maritime logistics chain, and delivers real value marked by the?simplified?shipping service industry chain, more shared shipping information,efficient shipping service business, and?reduced?maritime logistics?costs.

?

The deeds of our predecessors demonstrate the spirit of bravery, exploration, and persistence in navigation?to us.?Today, we can draw upon the experiences of numerous pioneers to better explore this world and even venture towards the boundless galaxy.??E-PORTS wishes all shipping people a happy holiday?on Maritime Day?2024 in China!?