Tianjin Port unveils the world's first zero carbon emissions terminal

Tianjin Port unveiled the world’s first zero carbon emissions terminal in mid-October. Located in the C Area of Beijiang port’s intelligent container dock zone, the terminal went into service following an inauguration ceremony on October 17. It has been operating smoothly since, the China Daily reported last week. It has three berths, each with a loading capacity of 200,000 metric tons and a length of 1,100 meters. It can berth two vessels weighing 200,000 tons simultaneously or two vessels weighing 100,000 tons and a third weighing 70,000 tons. Container handling capacity is estimated at 2.5 million TEU per year. Chu Bin, Party Secretary and President of the Tianjin Port Group, said that construction of the terminal took only a year and nine months, a reflection of “Chinese speed”. He added that the group aims to make Tianjin the world’s top intelligent port, and the new terminal is part of the strategy to achieve this ambitious target. “It is the world’s first smart and ‘zero-carbon’ terminal – an example for the intelligent upgrading and low-carbon development of ports all over the world,” Chu said.

“By coordinating all factors in the area in real-time based on AI technology, the terminal’s ‘brain’ can automatically create optimized loading and unloading plans. This leads to 20% higher efficiency compared to traditional terminals,” said Liu Xiwang, Deputy Director of the Information Department of the Tianjin Port Group’s No 2 Container Terminal. AI-controlled robots with sensors acting as eyes and ears do the dangerous and arduous work that humans do at traditional container terminals, he said, adding that the intelligent terminal saves on manpower, time and cost, while maintaining world-leading efficiency. A BeiDou Navigation Satellite System base station was set up at the terminal for dynamic, high-precision 5G positioning, according to Yang Jiemin, Vice President of the Tianjin Port Group. The terminal is powered by wind and solar energy, achieving zero-carbon emissions for energy consumption and production.

During the first three quarters of this year, Tianjin Port handled 351 million tons of cargo, a record high, up 4.5% year-on-year. During the same period, it ranked eighth on the list of the world’s largest ports in terms of total container handling capacity.