This leads to many inefficiencies with significant waste of time and the consequent increase of costs, fuel consumption and associated CO2 emissions. For this reason, Port operators are urgently looking to solve these problems with smart, scalable, and sustainable solutions. The 76% of ports see the need to optimize terminal operations, the 67% see costs as a concern and the 50% of the ports have the reduction of their greenhouse gas emission as target, in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and scientific recommendation, to halve the emissions by 2030.
Digital technologies are crucial in addressing these challenges and transforming port operations.
The port of Livorno, in Italy, implemented a Model-Driven Real-Time Control module, also called RTPORT. This model managed to improve the port competitiveness with a better and faster handling of the general cargo. Summing up, it aimed to increase the efficiency and sustainability of logistics operations.
The public fund by EU for the COREALIS Project supported the ideation and experimental implementation and testing of the RTPORT solution in the early PoC in the Port of Livorno, covering the different phases related to the handling of a freight from its arrival in the port to its transfer onto the ship.
The main three use cases implemented covered the freight registration and its arrival in the port, the transfer to the storage area and the loading on the ship under the control of the developed Logistics Management system coordinating all the operations.
The idea developed in the COREALIS project reduces operation time, costs, risks and the environmental impact through a preventive optimization of the storage and loading operations and a context aware intelligent management of operations relying on continuous monitoring of the activities using cameras, GPS and other sensors.
The model made use of a 5G network as well as some disruptive technologies (IoT, AI, AVR…) with the objective of coordinating and supporting port operations in real time. These technologies created the core of the module, a digital twin with a 5G/LTE Network that reproduces the current situation in the seaport terminal.
The fact that data is collected via yard operators and implanted sensors can be misleading about whether it is an implementation case of Logistics Nodes or Data Sharing. Nevertheless, it fits the Logistics Nodes scope as data is collected in order to obtain some improvement in the terminal. In this case, the main objective is to increase the speed rate of the operations, reduce operational costs, so as fuel consumption and machine working hours with a positive environmental impact. This will be done thanks to taking operating decisions based on real-time analytical processing.
The partner in charge of the development was Ericsson. They began to develop the Port of the Future use cases in COREALIS Project assessing and testing the new 5G innovative solutions and exploring how these can optimize port operations and produce economic and sustainability value.
They are still studying these outcomes by a project named the 5G Port of the Future. Regarding this Implementation Case, Ericsson collaborated with this report in the dissemination of the case by providing all the necessary information.
One of the main aspects they highlighted was how they covered the gap between the project results and reaching the market, which was indeed by the further support from Ericsson to finance next steps of the solution evolution. Nevertheless, the leverage on the Port network and connected stakeholders addressing the solution to market need also helped it. Along this path, the main hurdles faced were finding the right partners and developing a business model.
But thanks to that interest and development, key results were obtained. RT Port proved its potential in Livorno in early deployment showing interesting figures. It reduced inefficiencies of 13% for vessel operations time, 28% for unloading and storage operations and 17% for the forklift usage, with a consequent 8% reduction in CO2 emission.
The characteristics of the potential market also helped to move from R&I results to an actual implementation. The market for the General Cargo automation is very broad. Digitalization is essential for the terminal operators to improve their business. Automation of key assets, new technologies integrated with a fast an efficient 5g network, interworking of IoT applications are the key factors towards the Port of the Future concept for a more sustainable world.
They believe their impacts, aligned with the United Nations’ 17 SDGs, can inspire other ports and serve as a foundation for business scenario and replicability analyses in other ports and transport hubs around the world. With this project, they are moving technological boundaries forward and creating the biggest innovation platform ever.
The outcome and the project concept have also been shown in different competition and appeared on scientific releases:
In 2019 at the UN Congress on Sustainability the Port of Livorno project has been selected for its contribution to Sustainability (direct impact in 8 SDGs).
In 2020 at the Mobile Word Congress in Barcelona the Livorno use case has been shortlisted in the section Tech4Good, mentioned in the 5 most valuable projects. In addition, in 2020 at Hannover Messe Livorno project won the Industry Energy Efficiency Award.