Gothenburg to revolutionise port call management
The Digital Port Call service to be used in the port of Gothenburg from 2024 onwards (Source: Gothenburg Port Authority)
The Port of Gothenburg is to introduce new software, Digital Port Call, early next year that will consolidate all of the information required for an efficient port call. Developed jointly with Finnish port operations specialist, Awake.AI, the system will provide all stakeholders with full transparency, saving time, cutting emissions, and raising efficiency.
“Today there are numerous contacts that need to be made for a ship to arrive at berth, to load and unload, and then depart,” declared Fredrik Rauer, manager of Port Control in Gothenburg. “It encompasses everything from booking pilots and tugs, ensuring cranes are in the right position for the vessel, having the port crew ready to receive ropes, knowing the prevailing wind strength, to identifying the vessels in port.
“Digital Port Call consolidates all communication points into a smooth and efficient chain where predictability for the entire ship call process becomes evident. This is a digital tool that many of us have been waiting for,” he added.
The port has worked closely with Awake.AI for some time. In 2021, the partners introduced a digital berth planning tool, Allberth. The latest system now digitalises the entire port call.
On a voyage preceding a port call, up to 120 different parties need to be advised of a ship’s imminent visit. The system now makes all the information transparent, enabling informed decisions that conserve resources, reduce emissions, and enhance safety, the port authority said in a statement.
Ship masters now receive an overview of the voyage to port up to 36 hours before departure. By using a digital port call arrival declaration and its confirmation, the master can adjust the ship’s speed to minimise emissions and avoid unnecessary waiting time.
The EUR 1.5 million initiative is part of the Swedish port’s ambition to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 70% by 2030. This will involve ensuring access to, and storage of, a range of different fuels, as well as investments of up to EUR 60 million in physical and digital infrastructure that support a fossil-free logistics chain.
The port claims that Digital Port Call will lead to a 500-hour reduction in berth time each year; a 250-hour reduction in anchoring time; and cuts in the annual carbon dioxide emissions of anchored vessels totalling 1,000 tonnes.
