By Wasana Nadeeshani Sellahewa
(Commonwealth) _ Digitalization has become a common phrase in both professional and scientific literature. It may be viewed as a manifestation of technical advancement, which has historically received a lot of attention in economic growth theories. The origins of digitalization are, therefore, ancient, but terminology has grown rapidly in recent decades. Panelists at the Saudi Maritime Congress 2022 in September highlighted port infrastructure and services that optimized port calls and alleviated congestion, while also addressing sustainability and the environment in these improvements.
The panelists emphasized the significance of being able to develop new structures in order to deal with rising carbon capacity.
“We have established a port community system and just introduced a logistics platform that is used by all entities and stakeholders,” Abdulaziz Mubarak Al Balooshi, CEO of Fujairah Terminals, Abu Dhabi Ports, stated. It is a platform for exchanging information and data that facilitates decision-making”
The digitalization of ports and terminals has the potential to improve supply chains. Following Covid, ports that included digitalization looked to have a greater chance of addressing the issue of port congestion. It is apparent that, like in many other industries, Covid has hastened the transition to digitisation in the marine industry.
Prior to the epidemic, many individuals hesitated exploring cloud solutions and other novel alternatives, but these approaches are now recognized as effective.
“The marine sector was late to accept technology, but given what occurred with Covid, the march toward digitisation is increasing faster,” said Dr Tarek Shaalan, industry adviser specialist, Cargo, Transportation & Logistics EMEA South at SAP. “In addition, 5G has offered several potential for ports to grow.” However, in the marine business, digitalization might be considered as a difficulty. This might be due to the scale of the industry and the difficulty in bringing all of the components together. “Transportation is primarily a communication sector,” said Lars Greiner, associate partner Middle East and Africa at Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC). “How did we interact with one other in order to make this deal to transport freight in the first place?”
There are several options for using technology in the nautical business. For example, digital dashboards to analyze cargo location or digital maintenance applications that employ AI to estimate how much repair is needed.
The industry’s goal is for all important applications to function together and compliment one another. Collaboration on an endeavor to make the supply chain more professional is a significant emphasis of the industry. Sustainability is another important aspect in the marine business, and modern technology can assist to eliminate some of the environmental challenges that must be handled.
In terms of green fuel production, ADNOC will provide the Port of Fujairah with a green LNG plant (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company). In port operations, sustainability and green efforts are essential considerations.
Digitalisation and sustainability must be studied together. HPC has done a number of studies to determine what new fuels are available in the market and how they will be launched. Ports will need to evaluate boats and fuels. Port congestion, such as that observed in China, can have serious environmental consequences. As a result, digitization is an essential answer since it may minimize port congestion as well as other environmental problems.
“Another option for sustainability is autonomous ports or the usage of autonomous cars since ports with autonomous vehicles have the potential to cut electricity, shut lights at night, which reduces power consumption by at least 20%,” Shaalan added.
Ports can achieve carbon neutrality while maintaining high production. For example, Hamburg’s port is now entirely electric.
There are still many parts of the maritime sector that are not digitalized. Spreadsheets are still utilized, and logbooks are still handwritten, demonstrating the lack of progress. Global networks for industrial communication will be part of the innovation. A lot of connection has previously been studied in the Saudi area.
