[Report] Unmanned Operations Arrive at Busan Port... Autonomous Vehicles Now Roam the Docks

Sinsundae and Gamman Terminal, the Largest in Busan North Port
Unmanned Container Cranes Begin Operation This Month
Autonomous Yard Tractors Powered by SUM Technology

A quay crane (container handling equipment) in operation. Sinsundae and Gammam Terminal

#The control room of a crane moving dozens of tons of containers is completely empty. A crane operator, who reported to the control center, remotely lifted containers from the ship and lowered them to the ground. There was also no one in the driver's seat of the yard tractor, which transports containers. Equipped with autonomous driving technology, it moved unmanned through the container yard.

This is the vision of a future smart port envisioned by Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal (formerly Busan Port Terminal), the largest terminal in Busan North Port. From this month, the once labor-intensive workplace, which relied heavily on manual labor, is transforming into an unmanned and automated pier. Expectations are rising that this will enhance operational efficiency and productivity, while also providing a safer working environment.

On the 30th of last month, container transport vehicles were driving at Sinsundae and Gammam Terminal in Nam-gu, Busan. Photo by Jeon Youngju

On October 30, a small container ship that had departed from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, passed through Gwangyang and arrived at Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal in Nam-gu, Busan. As the yard tractor, responsible for container transport, arrived, quay crane No. 115-container handling equipment-began to operate. A blue container labeled "Heung-A" in English was lifted from the ship, slowly moved toward the land, and transferred to the yard tractor.

To carry out container handling operations, a person must climb to the operator's cabin at the top of the crane, about 25 meters high. This small, white, steel space-about 6.6 square meters-is referred to as the "cabin" on site. Han Hyungseok, Head of Operations Planning at Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal, explained, "Commuting to and from the cabin is somewhat dangerous. First, you have to climb stairs, take an elevator, and then move along a perforated walkway while holding onto the railing," adding, "Crane operators sometimes experience cervical disc problems or muscle pain because they have to look down for extended periods while operating the crane."

To improve this hazardous work environment, unmanned quay cranes will be sequentially introduced at Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal. Operators will be able to remotely control the cranes from an office, monitoring them via screens, rather than having to look directly at the containers beneath their feet from the cabin. This month, one quay crane will be retrofitted at a cost of 1.2 billion won, and by next year, all 17 cranes at Sinsundae will be converted. By 2027, when the nine cranes at Gamman Terminal are also retrofitted, the unmanned conversion of all 26 quay cranes will be complete.

Lee Junghaeng, CEO of Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal, stated, "Under the principle that safety is the highest management value, we are continuously upgrading handling equipment and expanding accident prevention facilities, thereby establishing a voluntary and participatory safety culture."

Unmanned yard crane (container handling equipment) in operation. Sinsundae and Gammam Terminal

The vision of a future smart port, where autonomous vehicles navigate between stacks of containers, may become a reality as early as this year. Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal has been designated as an autonomous driving testbed for four years starting this year, and is currently equipping yard tractors with autonomous driving technology.

Hyun Youngjin, CEO of SUM, the autonomous driving technology company that developed the system, said, "Ports operate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but there are few people willing to drive yard tractors, and most of the current workers are elderly. If we start with autonomous driving during nights or weekends, the labor intensity will be greatly reduced."

Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal

Sinsundae·Gamman Terminal has been improving work efficiency and port safety by leveraging new technologies, such as introducing the nation’s first unmanned yard crane (container transport equipment) in 2006. The dangerous area beneath the crane is marked with red LED laser lines to ensure a safe distance, and a drowsiness prevention device in the yard tractor sounds an alarm if it detects the driver is falling asleep.

Mr. Han commented, "Since not only the Serious Accident Punishment Act but also the Special Act on Port Safety applies to ports, we are making every effort to prevent safety accidents. If an accident occurs, the entire terminal comes to a halt, so we will actively adopt various technologies and take the lead in unmanned and automated operations."

This article was supported by the Ocean Embrace Foundation and the Korea Maritime Journalists Association.