Container Management In-depth articles on a wide range of topics in global port and terminal development
Tripling quay capacity at Operaciones Portuarias Canarias S.A. (OPCSA) terminal can be easily achieved without the need for investment in quay expansion or dredging the existing facility, a study by TBA Group has found.
Currently, the terminal handles approximately 800,000 teu but the port software simulation specialist found that this could be increased by at least three times through the installation of additional quay cranes.
Zack Lu, project manager at TBA Group, said: “For a brownfield terminal it can be a daunting exercise to forecast the future volume or capacity limits.
“We guided OPCSA by providing a concise overview of evidence-based available options within their terminal constraints.”
The initial study found that the current yard capacity of the brownfield terminal – under its current operational conditions and rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) system – is limited to 1m teu.
Expansion and an alternative handling system must be considered in order to facilitate growth beyond the yard capacity.
OPCSA’s CEO Captain Jan Nowak said: “The dynamic nature of container logistics poses quite a challenge for existing terminals to anticipate to future demands.
“We are striving to improve the efficiency of our local operations, initiate modernisation processes and increase productivity.”
OPCSA, located at the Port of Las Palmas and a part of Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) Group’s terminals, requested the study from TBA to identify and forecast possible scenarios to support investment in specific areas.