Guangdong's Only Selection! Guangzhou Port Nansha Grain Universal Wharf Automation Upgrade and Renovation Pilot Passes National Acceptance

(Source: China Transportation News)

Reprinted from: China Transportation News

Recently, the Ministry of Transport issued the “Acceptance Opinions on the ‘Port Function Optimization and Enhancement’ Special Pilot Program for a Strong Transportation Nation (First Batch).” All 14 pilot tasks, including the “Guangzhou Port Nansha Grain General Cargo Terminal Full-Process Automation Upgrade and Transformation Pilot,” have been completed, meeting the expected pilot objectives and approved for acceptance.

It is reported that the project adopts a construction plan of “automated upgrade of bulk cargo loading and unloading equipment + unmanned inspection system for substations + intelligent management system for the entire process of bulk cargo terminal operations.” It comprehensively covers front-end loading and unloading equipment, back-end power facilities, and operation management systems. As the leading domestic specialized bulk cargo full-process, fully automated, and intelligent upgrade and transformation terminal, the project has achieved the acceptance. The project has resulted in 3 invention patents, 8 utility model patents, 1 software copyright, and 3 papers, demonstrating significant results.

Operational Model Innovation

The project combines traditional bulk cargo terminal operation characteristics, completing the automation and domestication of loading and unloading equipment at berths 6-8. The capacity at these berths has increased from 4 million tons/year to 4.5 million tons/year. For the first time in the bulk cargo sector, multi-type ship unloading equipment (shared cargo) and continuous scraper-type ship unloaders have achieved fully automated coordinated operation, increasing overall production efficiency by 20%, reducing labor costs by approximately 79%, and achieving an equipment attendance rate of 98.4%. The risks caused by high temperatures, dust, and mechanical failures have been significantly reduced.

Smart Operation and Maintenance Breakthroughs

The project has deployed inspection robots in substations and established an unmanned inspection system capable of fully perceiving and collecting equipment status and environmental information within the station. This enables real-time monitoring, fault diagnosis, and abnormal early warning, improving equipment operational stability. Six-axis robotic arms autonomously replace operational tools, enabling live-line operations, which enhances response times and reduces operational safety risks.

Intelligent Management Empowerment

Relying on digital twin technology, the project independently developed a smart management system for the entire bulk cargo loading and unloading process. It connects data across ship unloading, storage, and loading/ship operations, and through data integration and analysis, achieves intelligent management and decision support for the entire process. This effectively addresses the scattered and difficult-to-manage issues of equipment, yards, and vehicle transfers within ports under traditional models.

As the only pilot task selected in Guangdong Province, the project focuses on bulk cargo loading and unloading operations. Following the concepts of “single-machine automation” and “multi-machine collaboration,” it has fully completed the domestication and automation upgrade of all berth loading and unloading equipment. The project successfully transitioned traditional operations to fully automated operations, making a significant breakthrough in smart port construction and forming a replicable and promotable “Guangzhou experience” for port intelligent transformation.