APM Terminals previously disclosed that it will operate its 25-wide, 50m lift height cranes at Maasvlakte II without a driver on board. As previously discussed in WorldCargo News, the cranes will first be fitted out with Merford cabs and tested first semi-automatically (“end conditions” under on-board driver cotrol) and then fully automatically (all operations including “end conditions” under remote operator control) prior to shipping to Rotterdam. If all goes well, the cabs will be taken off the cranes and shipped to and stored separately in Rotterdam for redundancy purposes.

It has now been disclosed that RWG is taking a similar route as regards its similar-sized STS cranes, as ABB has just reported from Switzerland “that the new Maasvlakte II container terminals will be first in Europe to operate without a driver on board…ABB’s delivery will enable the cranes to be operated remotely, without a driver on board, for improved overall efficiency.”

“These projects underscore the need for fast and cost-effective container handling, and how the latest automation technologies can be applied to dramatically increase efficiency as a response to higher productivity requirements,” said Veli-Matti Reinikkala, head of ABB’s process automation division.

WorldCargo News comment: Unlike the APMT cranes, the RWG cranes will have cabs fitted, although it does seem that the intention is to operate them fully remotely. The disadvantage of leaving the cab on the trolley is the extra moving load (about 6t), which means extra power (mounts up over time) and higher dynamic wheel loads, so there must be a chance that RWG will remove and store the cabs once it has full confidence in 100% remote operations. APMT released all its information at TOC Europe in Antwerp in June, and RWG provided details of its equipment line-up shortly after. Even allowing for ABB’s size as a big “corporate,” almost four months to provide its take on things seems a long time. Perhaps it has taken more time to convince RWG to take the 100% remote road to the future. Finally, perhaps the most important aspect of remote control is the impact on terminal operators’ human resources and “human capital”- not just fewer traditional jobs, but jobs done by non-traditional staff.