Differential GPS improves return on investment for Humber port

ABP business analyst Phil Hough explains the challenge: “On the macro level, how efficiently we use our available space is critically important,” he says. “We want to be able to process more cargo in less time, and with the sort of land we need at a premium, do it using less space. On the micro level, we want to cut secondary handling and maximise the number of lifts per hour – and in turn, that means we need to know the precise location of every container in the stack at all times.”

And that’s an impractical task, since a manual tally would take days, during which time changes would constantly be taking place. “That’s why it made sense to automate the process,” he says.

ABP chose a system from Autostore – Europe’s leading terminal operating system – designed and implemented by Central Systems & Automation. “By using Autostore to automate container positioning, we’ve been able to lighten the workload significantly for our crane drivers. The user feedback we get is great – our drivers simply select the move, enter the check digit and Autostore looks after the rest. We’ve been able to eliminate costly human error, and reduce secondary handling significantly – both of which have a negative impact on lift-per-hour rates.”

Service level agreements with customers are strict, and the use of DGPS container positioning using Autostore has allowed ABP to hit its targets. “The level of real-time and accurate operational data has enabled us to improve turnaround times and lifts per hour, and that means we’re enhancing the level of service we offer to our customers,” adds Mr Hough.

Nor is the safety benefit lost on ABP. “Autostore has also given us a real health and safety advantage. Automation means we don’t have to undertake manual tallies of the container stack, for example – and that gets people out of the yard and out of harm’s way.”

Mr Hough adds: “Immingham is a big operation and a global player. Extending our use of Autostore into DGPS container positioning has had far-reaching consequences.

“We now have an unmatched level of efficiency when it comes to managing the container stack. Cutting-edge DGPS automation gives us more lifts per hour and faster ship turnaround without increasing the footprint of the terminal. The big pay-offs are that we can sweat our capital assets harder, improve our return on investment, increase revenue, enhance our competitiveness and drive up the profitability of the business.”