Rotterdam and the World's Supply Chain

Interesting Discovery: short video showing the fully automated Rotterdam port operation. It’s the largest seaport in Europe and 10th in world for cargo tonnage (was #1 between 1962 and 2004, since overtaken by Chinese ports) It's operated by <20 people onsite and works by: 

• Driverless vehicles between ships and storage areas (each vehicle is 30-tonnes)

• Remote-controlled cranes for loading and unloading vessels.

• Automated logistics systems for moving and stacking containers. 

The dock is 42km long and moves ~500m tones of cargo a year. It has over 80,000 lipstick-sized transponders that help guide the vehicles with workers overseeing the operation in a control room (they work off of a “digital twin” of the dock created by dozens of sensors and camera). 

Rotterdam’s automated port took away traditional dock jobs but new ones are required including: 

• Control room operators.

• Technicians to repair and maintain automated vehicles, cranes and systems.

• Data analysts to study and optimize port logistics 

The port also operates 24/7, which means more container throughput, leading to greater need for deliver drivers.

by Trung Phan, X |  Read more:

Video: YouTube

[ed. Quite extraordinary, considering the scale and complexity of the operations involved (and this is from four years ago. Who knows what's going on these days?). This is how the world gets automated. Quietly. See also: Rotterdam is building the most automated port in the world (Wired).]