DP World officially put the fully automatic container storage system BOXBAY into commercial use.
According to the latest news, DP World, a global port operator headquartered in Dubai, has announced the implementation of the BOXBAY storage HBS system at its terminal in Busan, South Korea. This is the first time that HBS has been put into commercial use, and the Port of Busan is also one of the largest container ports in the world.
BOXBAY is a fully automatic container storage system with built-in extra safety features. The system allows direct pickup or storage of designated containers at any time, reducing unproductive movements by 350,000 per year. Charging Culture Media reported on the successful trial of the system and related demonstrations two years ago. DP World’s fully automatic container storage system was successfully tested for the first time, and the animation demonstrated the specific operation process of Boxbay’s fully automatic container storage system.
The system will be integrated into Pusan Newport Corporation (PNC), a subsidiary of DP World, to improve the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of South Korean terminals. DP World holds a 66% stake in PNC, which handled 5.3 million TEUs in 2021. According to DP World, the system will reduce overall truck service times by 20 percent, further improving PNC’s service to its customers.
The HBS system technology will seamlessly integrate with the existing ARMG/truck operating model as a retrofit to existing vacant storage areas. The company plans to power the system using solar energy generated by photovoltaic panels on the roof of the storage system. “We have long been investing in new and innovative technologies that will improve and modernize our ports and terminals,” said Tiemen Meester, Chief Operating Officer of Ports and Terminals in DP World. “With the introduction of the BOXBAY high-bay storage system, we will be able to better serve our customers while keeping our people safe and reducing our carbon footprint in the environment.”
The signing ceremony of the contract was held in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone in the presence of Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World Group, and Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman and CEO of SMS Group, the two partners behind BOXBAY. In October 2022, BOXBAY Port Terminal Solutions won the German Supply Chain Management Award at the International Supply Chain Conference and will present at the PTI Container Terminal Automation Conference in Hamburg, Germany on March 14. In 2022, DP World handled 79 million TEUs across its global container terminal portfolio, a year-on-year increase of 1.4% in volume and 2.8% in sales.
