Designing An Effective Port Model For Future Demands

Structuring the Delivery Services

The aim of this study is to design an effective port model which consists of a full range of port services. This study is elaborating the structuring of harbour services and operations which can satisfy the expectation of the port users and their future demands related to cargo and shipping interests. 

The port will offer a full range of services and will follow a polyfunctional model. Notteboom et al. (2021) mentioned that polyfunctional ports are referred to as vast harbours in which different activities such as industrial activities, trans-shipment, and loading and unloading of cargo can be carried out. Thus, this port will be structured in such a way that will offer a variety of services including container, bulk cargo, and other raw materials.

This port model will include an internal port terminal, port company, externalized port terminal, and logistic zone. As stated by Gizelis et al. (2020), the port company aims to develop, maintain, manage and preserve the port. Besides, it also manages the goods that the port owns and all of the activities that take place within the port setting. The port company plays the role of the port authority which is actually an autonomous form of its facility owners and the government. Information regarding the efficiency of the logistic activities can be generated, altered, and managed by the port company. On the other hand, Djamaludin et al. (2022) have stated that it also holds the power of approving port investment proposals and setting financial policy for the operations. The port company will also design the labour policy which will make it easier for the port users to get harbor services from skilled workers. Moreover, the port company will also have the power to establish different principles for licensing agents or workers of the port. The use of potential software helps to collect data of port activities on a daily basis by the port company which is helpful for future improvements.

The aim of building an internal port terminal is to develop the infrastructure of the port-associated terminals. As said by Abu Aisha et al. (2020), this terminal will not run under any concession. It will be operated by the port company. A multi-operator scheme is required to manage internal port terminals. This design will be concerned about different cargo types from the import and export. The tasks related to shifting cargoes will be managed by external private companies and other activities of this terminal can be managed by the port company only. The export and import logistic chain will be managed with the combined efforts of the internal port terminal, externalized port terminal, the port company and the previous logistic chain. After the completion of the unloading coordination at the previous logistic zone, the internal terminal will receive the transport cargo. Then, the stocking will be received. After that, receiving storage will take place and ultimately it will be receiving the shipping zone. It will result in transport dispatch at the end.         

Current Utilities and Requirements of the Port

The previous logistic zone is an essential part of the port structure that helps in the process of integration of clients’ logistics through a cargo service platform. This zone ensures good quality, high level of safety and orientates advanced technology and innovation. A private company can take in-charge of this zone. Córdova and Durán (2014) mentioned that in the logistics zone, activities are performed in the outer port area and proper service must be provided in this zone to increase port productivity. For export logistics in the previous logistic zone, there will be different processes that include receiving the goods and ensuring the safety of goods by enrolling them. After this process, documentation, and inspection will be done that includes both physical and document inspection. Then preparation will be taken for dispatching the goods that includes loading of goods. During the import of goods, there are different sub-processes in the previous logistics zone. This consists of receiving goods, ensuring safety, documenting the goods, and dispatching.

In this port system, there will be both external and internal port terminals. The port will be operated and administered through the help of externalized port terminals. The operation of port terminals is often controlled by the private companies who manage the operation of port terminals and provide services that are linked with ships. These terminals include various fixed and mobile equipment, which includes cranes of various capacities, trucks, and others. The sub-processes during export logistics include receiving cargo, exchanging, arranging the cargo in a proper way (Córdova & Durán, 2014). Other sub-processes consist of stocking and storage of cargo, transporting to shipping zones, and dispatching.

For handling the commodities effectively, it is essential to have several terminals that include container terminals, grain terminals, multipurpose terminals, and bulk terminals. Estimated area, berth, and throughput of the terminals are summarised in the table below:

Terminal	Parameter	Unit	Value
Container	Throughput	TEU	410000
	Berths	-	2
	Area	ha	37
	Quay length	m	650
Bulk terminal	Throughput	TEU	500000
	Berths	-	2
	Area	ha	36
	Quay length	m	480
Multipurpose terminal	Throughput	TEU	1,300,000
	Berths	-	6
	Area	ha	80
	Quay length	m	1650
Grain terminal	Throughput	TEU	1,800,000
	Berths	-	5
	Area	ha	9
	Quay length	m	500

It is essential to improve the port through continuous development such as increasing berths and quay length to accommodate more ships. Eskafi et al. (2021) mentioned that the throughput of a port terminal can be increased by increasing its facilities such as the number of cranes and berths. The delivery of services in the port will be facilitated through the help of different factors that include cranes. Each ship needs to serve through an adequate number of cranes. Parise et al. (2016) said that the number of cranes for each vessel depends on the total number of cranes present in the terminal. In this port, there should be three times as many cranes as berths. Moreover, storage space is another essential factor that can help to increase the utilization of the port.

Currently the port can be used as a medium that can manage the economic activities in the coastal regions of the concerned country. According to Wang (2020), it requires more provinces, policies, and infrastructures to ensure flawless transportation of goods through the port. This port will directly contribute to the economic condition of the country by making imports and export easier. Currently, it will manage transshipment activities on both inland and ships in order to facilitate a clear convergence between the maritime systems and land transport. This port will have the capability of handling containers of uniform size which will eventually help the port users in terms of fast loading and unloading onto diverse modes of transport including ships, trains, and trucks. This port will be able to encourage more containerized transport in the future with the economic growth of the country. As claimed by Irannezhad et al. (2019), the import-export ratio is an important fact in container transport. This port needs to determine the number of empty containers by managing this ratio as empty containers hold longer dwell time. The separate storage area of the port can be used to handle tank containers and ‘reefers’. 

Companies of the concerned company use ports to bring raw materials for their production in order to meet market demand. As stated by Behdani et al. (2020), these companies usually prefer relatively cheap cost transportation via ports. Currently, this port will be using smaller units in order to handle three different kinds of general cargo such as neo-bulk, containerized cargo, and break-bulk. The break-bulk cargo will be used by the current users to carry crates, bags, and pallets. Besides, neo-bulk is effective in terms of transporting cable reels, steel bars, and other similar materials, and the current users will consider containerized cargo as non-ISO containers. However, Zhang et al. (2020) have argued that the port authority needs to focus more on time management as considering general cargo enhances the time of loading and unloading activities. The labour policy developed by the port company will ensure the recruitment of skilled and experienced workers in this port. These workers can be used by the port users in order to handle equipment while loading and unloading raw materials from cargo and containers. This port is also useful for the automotive industry of the concerned company. As opined by Pérez et al. (2020), shipping vehicles and parts of vehicles via ship are less costly and simple for automobile companies. This port consists of a roll-on/roll-off transport system which will make it easier to load and unload car parts and cars on the port. This system will not require any human resources to lift the cars and parts of vehicles while transferring from or into ships. Automobile companies who will use this port can shift cars within a minimum time frame due to this system. 

Import of dry bulk is another use of the port which contributes to dry product transportation at affordable cost and minimum effort. Haralambides (2021) has said that four different categories are there in the expected dry bulk volumes such as cement, fertilizer, wheat/grains, and miscellaneous. The huge hike in the demands of these dry materials can enhance the contribution of these products to the total current throughput. This port, currently, consists of dedicated terminals which are effective to help port users who want to import or export dry bulk. It directly helps the construction industry by transporting cement which is in high demand nowadays. On the other hand, Kuznetsov et al. (2018) have stated that the port is also helping the agricultural industry to transport grains and fertilizers in large volumes in order to sustain the consumer base through meeting their demands. These dedicated terminals of the port can also be used to transport liquid bulk. Liquid bulk includes processed petroleum products which are in high demand in developing countries that have little or no capacity to refine natural products (Zahakifar et al., 2018). Economic growth can impact using the port for liquid bulk transportation as terminals will need to be modified based on the demands and expectations of the port users. 

In the future, the port can be used for the circulation of passengers along with freight. Integration of cross-border passenger transport and ferry services for local transport can help to increase the productivity of the port and greater economic benefits can be achieved through the help of this use. However, Kotowska (2016) mentioned that it is essential for port authorities to maintain different norms to avoid negative impacts of transport. For this use of the port, it is essential for the port authority to improve the infrastructure of the port. This includes developing parking spaces and waiting areas for the passengers. In addition, terminals need to be increased especially for passenger ferries and ships. For this use of the port, several guidelines need to be followed by the authority of this port. This includes the provision of effective information to the passengers regarding the schedule of the ferry, vessel destinations, information regarding tickets, and purchasing fares. This can be done through the help of websites of the port authority. The quality of information needs to be analyzed on a regular basis.

In the future, the commodities will be altered to increase the economic benefit of the port. The number of general cargo will increase to make transportation less expensive for the port users. The number of containers will decrease as handling cost and equipment is more for this type of transportation through ports. Handling of general cargo is easy and flexible. Moreover, Adenigbo and Enyinda (2016) argued that less expensive instruments are required for dispatching and transporting general cargo that helps in economic growth. The accommodation of general cargo must also be increased due to the low weight which makes it easier to handle. The internal logistics will also get benefitted because the cost of storage and transportation will also be low. Thus, in the future, the port needs to be used more for dispatching and receiving general cargo as compared with container cargo.

On the other hand, in the future, the port will also be used for warehousing and distribution functions. It is essential for the port authority to expand its operational area for this purpose. Monios et al. (2018) mentioned that port is an essential location for the distribution centres that are done through storing materials in the warehouses located in the port. For this use, it is essential for the port authority to build effective infrastructures such as inventory management systems and equipment like forklifts, storage racks, and others.

In the future, if the port gains economic growth, then liquid bulk capacity will be increased. This will be done by improving the terminals suitable for liquid bulk transportation. In the future, the port will be used more for importing liquid bulk such as petroleum, which is necessary for the economic growth and infrastructure of the nation. Zhang et al. (2020) mentioned that a dedicated terminal should be there in ports for importing that helps to transport essential materials required for building the infrastructure of a nation. This use of the port requires building different infrastructure that includes storage facilities, which are safe. Wang (2020) said that safe storage facilities are required especially for storing liquid bulk such as petroleum. Otherwise, the risk of accidents can increase the port area.

The port needs to improve in the future, which is essential for increasing its productivity and economic growth. Liu (2020) mentioned that it is essential for ports of a nation to improve their infrastructure and facilities through a continuous development process, which is essential for increasing throughput. The port can be improved by providing separate storage facilities for reefers or refrigerated containers. Developing special storage facilities for reefers can help to import and export these containers that contain perishable items. The provision of a specific amount of slots in the terminals for reefers can help to ship perishables effectively. Port authorities need to recruit skilled labour and update policies for including this facility in the port

Automation is another effective way to improve the port in the future. Notteboom et al. (2021) mentioned that automation in ports helps to increase the throughput and efficiency of the services. Integrated technologies can be used to develop intelligent solutions, which can help to manage port traffic effectively. Managing the traffic and controlling flow can help to improve port efficiency. For example, terminal operating systems can be used to manage flow in the terminals. These are software that is cloud-based and help to create ready-to-use flows, which support smooth operation in the port. Moreover, the semi-automation process can be used for loading and unloading through cranes. Automated cranes can be used along with manned cranes for these processes. Automated cranes can be used to deliver cargo and containers from ship to shore through the help of container handling systems (Zhen et al., 2018). On the other hand, automation can also be deployed in stacking. Robots can be used to bring the cargo to designated stations and make them prepared for further transportation. Braidotti et al. (2020) said that the smart design of robotic equipment helps to manage the inventory flow in ports efficiently.

The port can also be improved by managing hazardous waste emissions and improving sustainability. Di Vaio et al. (2019) said that huge traffic in ports and construction due to port expansion produces harmful sediments and pollutes the water. A garbage management system needs to be installed in this port that can help in the proper segregation of different categories of waste. This includes chemicals, metallic wastes, plastics, and others. Different environmental regulations must be maintained by the port authority to minimize the level of marine pollution. Different wastes such as oil rags, sludge, metals, glass, and waste oils will be transported to shore reception facilities instead of dumping at the sea (Svaetichin, & Inkinen, 2017). Regular tracking of water, air, and noise pollution need to be done to control the level of pollution.

Discussion Regarding Drawing a Conclusion on the Improvement of Port Design

The conclusion regarding the port design improvement has been drawn based on the existing literature which shows potential trends. Research on different kinds of cargo has revealed that the demand for transporting fresh meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, drugs, and experimental samples is increasing (Singh, 2020). It is indicating that it is high time to plan potential modifications in the port to enlarge special terminals to handle more amounts of reefers. On the other hand, research also sheds light on the advantages of automated ports. For example, a recently published article has claimed that automated ports are way safer than the traditional port models (Mckinsey.com, 2018). Though it is an expensive idea, it can reduce human-made errors in the ports and provide security to transported products during loading and unloading. Highly automated terminals can ensure benefit for both the port authority and the port users. More potential users can be attracted towards the port and the economic value can enhance automatically due to this consideration. Besides, there are various researchers who raised their voices regarding waste management at the port to reduce the impact of marine pollution on the surrounding environment. A recent report has mentioned the process of recycling wastes at the seaports to reduce pollution levels which is considerable and helped to draw the conclusion regarding port design improvement (Marineinsight.com, 2021). These improvements in the port design can make it more reliable to the users. As a result, the annual revenue generated volume can be enhanced to benefit the stakeholders who are associated with this port.             

Conclusion

From the entire discussion of this study it is concluded that the proposed port design is well-structured for ensuring effective harbor services to the port users. The design of terminals, type of cargo to be planned for handling, and other operational strategies designed for this port make it smoother to transport any kind of materials through the port. However, the demand for trans-shipments is changing with the passage of time which is evident in the existing literature. Future use and the required improvements in the port design have been presented in this study based on this aspect.

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