DP World building innovative container terminal

Jebel Ali Terminal 4 will feature what the company is hailing as a revolutionary racking system and will be ready by Expo 2020.    DP World said a revolutionary racking system for the storage of containers will be built at its Jebel Ali Terminal 4 in Dubai.
   The industrial engineering company SMS Group will supply the storage system, adapting a design originally developed by its AMOVA subsidiary for storage of metal coils that weigh as much as 50 tons each in racks as high as 50 meters.
   “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 11-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,” the companies said in a press release.
   The system is similar to storage systems used in high-density warehouses for the storage of pallets of goods. There will be aisles between the racks so that containers can be plucked by cranes from the individual compartments in which they are stored. Key to the project is SMS Group’s proven experience in building systems that can handle heavy material such as steel coils that can weigh more than containers.
   The racking system will be able to handle more than 1,200 TEUs, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, DP World Group chairman and chief executive officer, said DP World was “tremendously excited by its potential and groundbreaking features. Our engagement in new technologies is a major priority and we have become known for seeking ways that transform the way goods are moved across the world.”
   DP World said the system will be completed in time for Expo 2020, a world fair to be held in Dubai.
   The rack is designed so “each container can be accessed without having to move another one, enabling 100 percent utilization in a terminal yard. The system brings big gains in speed, energy efficiency, better safety and a major reduction in costs. Costs are further cut by the ability to shorten the time taken to load and unload mega-ships by as much as 30 percent,” the companies said
   Burkhard Dahmen, CEO of SMS Group, said, “Our subsidiary AMOVA has optimized this technology in industrial applications for the metals industry over several decades. The application for container terminals is a direct result of our ‘New Horizon’ strategy in which SMS transfers technology from the metallurgical sector to other industries.”
   Mathias Dobner, CEO of the joint venture, said, “This new container-handling technology allows cities to use their expensive and sensitive land and waterfront areas more effectively. 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 as well as their overall appearance.”
   AMOVA’s website says it has further developed a concept that would allow ship-to-shore cranes to directly deliver containers into a dockside warehouse.