Image courtesy of Ericsson
What is the problem to be solved?
As a fundamental enabler for the evolution of modern maritime port operations, digital communications not only respond to demands for the safe exchange of data, but also contribute to the efficient management of the movement of people and goods. Ports worldwide are already adopting new technologies in a bid to increase productivity and provide better, more cost-effective services to customers. It is therefore vital that UK ports follow this initiative to remain competitive.
Ports are an interface between UK trade and transport with the digital interface a significant consideration for frictionless operations. Ports are a hub for the movement of goods and people.
The largest ports in the UK, such as Port of Southampton, Port of Felixstowe, and Port of London, handle more than 18 million tonnes of containers, 6.5 million passengers, and over 800,000 vehicle imports and exports annually.
The largest container ships carry over 200,000 tonnes of cargo in over 20,000 containers, so the sheer scale of operation becomes clearer. Managing the movement of this volume of goods involves an array of machinery.
Ports are complex environments with many buildings and a lot of large metal structures which block radio waves. Moving container stacks, ships, machinery and cranes dynamically shift areas of good and poor connectivity, adding complexity to any network deployment. The density of connection points and masts required are therefore greater than a fixed urban environment. Mobile network operators have not prioritised ports connectivity due to these technical challenges and the business model, with typically relatively low number of users and revenue associated.
All the physical assets in ports are becoming increasingly digitally enabled, tracked, and monitored, sometimes even remotely operated or automated. The range of systems and applications active in and around commercial ports is growing in capability and the range of activities undertaken. This is why coverage, capability and resilience of communications technologies is critical for UK ports.
Some of the bigger ports are investing in 5G to explore and implement services to improve safety and efficiency. This includes inspection drones and autonomous vehicles “shunters” plus other services providing monitoring or automation plus AI insights in and around the ports. Better connected ports are more likely to benefit from the “digital revolution”, than those which are not.
With over 120 commercial cargo ports across the UK, supporting containers, ferries and bulk cargo the need for improved and robust communications is clear. As the size of the ports and investment available varies across UK ports, a common understanding of the challenges and approach to the investment in connectivity / digital products available, will support all ports and not just the largest.
Ports are complex environments in many aspects with various organisations owning and running different aspects of the port operation. Port-dedicated communication systems using private cellular networks will be used by multiple organisations, with multiple applications and priorities. Therefore, who decides which applications get priority becomes key, particularly for bottlenecks or emergencies.
Ports owned by a variety of different organisations who are effectively in competition for trade, so cooperation and sharing of investment and operational best practice is sometimes limited.
Acknowledgment:
This Toolkit was generated with significant contribution from publications by Connected Places Catapult (“Future Communication as an enabler at ports”, 2024), with additional inputs from Maritime UK, British Ports Association and Ericsson.
What is the solution to the problem?
Reliable wireless communications are needed across ports to provide connectivity with mobile devices which are increasingly becoming essential to operational processes. Wi-Fi has been utilised in many ports which has benefitted from high availability of devices, but Wi-Fi has limited range of up to 100m and is prone to signal blocking by the harsh port environment. This makes it expensive to provide reliable coverage due to the large numbers of access points required.
Cellular networks require a relatively small number of base stations (masts) with capacity for additional device connections or signal boost to improve “not spots” of connectivity, provided through 5G Small Cells. These Small Cells can be installed on existing lamp posts or similar assets which have power and nearby fibre. Small Cells have a much greater range than Wi-Fi and enhance commercial and private standalone 5G provision, supporting high numbers of device connections (phones or monitoring devices) for example at passenger hubs such as passenger ferry terminals. Overall, a more reliable connectivity is possible using 5G for the harsh transmission environment of ports.
Commercial model (Business Case)
Handling 95% of UK imports and exports, maritime ports are the country’s gateway with international markets. Not only do they generate revenue for a nationwide network of direct and indirect suppliers and service providers, but UK ports also employ around 125,000 people.
There are over 400 non-cargo handling ports and 120 cargo handling ports in the UK ( Ports | Maritime UK). The cargo handling ports, which are the biggest ports, stand to gain the most from improved mobile communications. The number of these large ports in each of the UK countries are listed below:
- England: 80
- Scotland: 20
- Wales: 10
- Northern Ireland: 10
The types of ports in the UK can be categorised as:
- All-purpose: Handle a variety of cargo types.
- Container: Specialize in handling containerized cargo.
- Ferry: Facilitate passenger and vehicle ferry services.
- Bulk cargo: Handle bulk commodities like coal, oil, and grain.
Specialized: Cater to specific types of cargo or industries, such as fishing or leisure boating.
The largest ports by type are listed below:
- All-purpose port: Port of London - One of the busiest and most versatile ports in the UK.
- Container port: Port of Felixstowe - The largest container port in the UK, handling nearly half of the country’s containerized trade.
- Ferry port: Port of Dover - Known as the “Gateway to Europe,” it is the busiest ferry port in the UK.
- Bulk cargo port: Port of Immingham - The largest port by tonnage, handling significant volumes of bulk cargo.
- Specialized port: Milford Haven - The largest port for handling oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the UK.
Safety is a priority in ports as with other industries, some statistics regarding injuries to people (Loss Time Injury), listed in 2022 by the port Skills and Safety shows for the >200 injuries:
- the most common incident locations berth/quayside/alongside a vessel and on container ships and represent 45% of injury locations in 2022.
- The second most common incident locations are roadways/parking area – with public access, roadways/parking area – no public access and the non-specific ‘other location.’
- Container vessels continue to be the most likely vessel type on which to have an incident, a trend repeated year on year.
Benefits
The benefits of 5G communications and 5G enabled products and services are evidenced from several recent studies.
A White Paper issued by British Ports Association and Rotterdam (Move Forward: Step by step towards a digital port) providing the following summary for the impact of digital services established in Port of Rotterdam. Automating the individual parties in the port enables data collection. This is used to make the port run more cost- effectively, more safely and more sustainably. Implementation of a digital port Management System (PMS) in Rotterdam has had significant benefits with an overall benefit of approximately €160 million per year:
- Shortened the turnaround time for ships by 30 minutes. Container handling equipment tracks cranes, straddle carriers, and other handling equipment availability and utilisation. Container tracking monitors movements within the port, ensuring timely loading and unloading. Coordination of vessel arrivals, departures, and berth allocation is also possible. The port optimises resource allocation, minimises waiting times, and enhances overall efficiency by analysing data. Assuming a vessel costs €10,000 per hour, this means around €150 million in annual savings is realisable for the port of Rotterdam.
- Reduction of the number of incidents with lost time associated, results in savings of €7 million per year.
Port staff can be deployed more efficiently: annual savings of €2 million. Despite the expansion of Maasvlakte 2, the staff levels of the Harbour Master’s Division shrunk.
Evidence from the UK Port of Tyne, a study run with Ericsson and BT, demonstrated:
- 50% reduction in time spent inspecting assets using drones.
- 56% installation and maintenance cost reduction using 5G connected CCTV, reducing the need for fibre connection and reducing the logistics associated with groundworks to provide.
- AI based video feed from the CCTV was used to check:
- correct PPE usage and compliance by port personnel.
- scanning the containers for damage and identification.
- vehicle tracking on approach, entry and within the confines of the port environment.
- Other use cases that focus on “Efficiency, Operations and Safety” using drones, CCTV and IoT monitoring devices include:
- Intelligent berthing for ships and boats in the harbour.
- High bay storage, a relatively new approach to handling containers in terminals.
- Preventative maintenance and condition monitoring of cargo, cranes & machinery.
- Tracking using IoT devices of assets, people or cargo to optimise the logistics of movement and storage in the port environment.
- Perishable goods monitoring for food and pharmaceuticals to assure the product welfare.
- Logistics of containers and mixed consignments can be tracked, helping haulage companies optimise operations, avoid delays as well as preventing loss and theft of goods. Faster collection of goods reduces importer costs and eses port congestion.
- Port emissions and pollution monitoring.
- Monitoring and optimising energy consumption such as lighting or climate devices.
- In addition, there is a significant opportunity for AUTOMATION especially in the larger commercial ports. This grouping of products and services requires low latency and reliable data, with high reliability to support remote control and supervision of equipment as an example. The use case therefore overviews some existing communications standards intended for safety, reliability, or time critical applications. Several significant product examples requiring robust communications are:
- Operation of drones used for surveillance.
- Shunters (Automated Vehicles) used for moving containers and machinery around the port.
- Automated Transport vehicles to shuttle personnel around the port on demand.
- Autonomous Navigation Technology for cargo and equipment movement.
- Remote crane operations with high-definition video.
Lessons Learnt
Private networks and non-commercial spectrum are both appealing concepts for ports to minimise costs, but the fibre connection and power requirements for more rural ports can still present challenges.
If you’re ready to embark on a connectivity project, we can point you to the suppliers with expertise in your sector.