An international joint-venture formed by Dubai-based port and terminal operator DP World and industrial engineering specialists SMS group will revolutionize the way that containers are handled in ports.
A new and intelligent storing system will be applied for the first time ever at Jebel Ali Terminal 4, in time for the Dubai Expo 2020 world fair.
The High Bay Storage system was originally developed by SMS group subsidiary AMOVA for round the clock handling of metal coils that weigh as much as 50 tons each in racks as high as 50 metres.
Instead of stacking containers directly on top of each other, which has been global standard practice for decades, the system places each container in an individual rack compartment. Containers are stored in an eleven-story rack, creating 200 percent more capacity than a conventional container terminal, or creating the same capacity in less than a third of the space.
DP World explained that the rack’s design allows each container to be accessed without having to move another one, enabling 100 percent utilization in a terminal yard, while at the same time cutting costs by as much as 30 percent.
“Our system will significantly increase the productivity of handling ships on the quay. This means that quay walls can be shortened by a third. This disruptive innovation will greatly improve the financial performance of container ports, and well as their overall appearance,” Mathias Dobner, CEO of the joint venture, said.