China builds at sea an automated terminal of 2.23 million m², equivalent to 312 football fields, with 7 berths for giant ships, 26 remote cranes, and 130 driverless vehicles to move up to 8 million containers per year and keep Shanghai ahead of Singapore, Ningbo-Zhoushan, and Shenzhen in global logistics

By Valdemar Medeiros

Yangshan Automated Port Uses Remote Cranes, Autonomous Vehicles, and Artificial Islands to Expand China’s Maritime Leadership.

China has transformed artificial islands in the sea into one of the most advanced port operations on the planet. The automated Yangshan terminal, connected to the Port of Shanghai, occupies about 2.23 million m², an area equivalent to approximately 312 football fields, and was designed to operate giant ships with virtually no visible drivers or operators in much of the logistical operation.

The structure is part of phase 4 of the Yangshan Port, built in deep waters in Hangzhou Bay. The terminal uses 26 remotely controlled cranes, about 130 electric autonomous vehicles, and dozens of automated systems to transport containers between ships, storage areas, and logistics zones. According to data linked to the Shanghai International Port Group, the annual capacity of the area has been expanded to up to 8 million TEUs, a unit used in maritime transport to measure 20-foot containers.

The project is part of China’s strategy to keep Shanghai as the world’s largest container port. Today, the complex directly competes for global logistics leadership with maritime hubs like Singapore, Ningbo-Zhoushan, and Shenzhen, in a race that involves automation, operational intelligence, and capacity to accommodate increasingly larger ships.

Source