Guangzhou Port Automation Upgrade Project Passes High-Quality Inspection of the Transportation Power National Special Pilot Program

(Source: China Water Transport Network)

Reprinted from: China Water Transport Network

Recently, the Ministry of Transport issued the “Acceptance Opinions on the ‘Port Function Optimization and Enhancement’ Special Pilot Program for a Strong Transportation Nation (First Batch)” (Jiao Planning Letter [2026] No. 65). All 14 pilot tasks, including the “Guangzhou Port Nansha Grain General Terminal Fully Automated Unloading System Upgrade and Transformation Pilot,” have been completed, meeting the expected pilot objectives and approved for acceptance.

As the only selected pilot task in Guangdong Province, the project focuses on grain unloading operations. Following the concepts of “single-machine automation” and “multi-machine collaboration,” it has fully completed the domestication and automation upgrade of all berthing unloading equipment, successfully transforming traditional operations into fully automated processes. This marks a significant breakthrough in smart port development, creating a replicable and promotable “Guangzhou Experience” for port intelligent transformation.

The project adopts a construction plan of “automated upgrade of bulk grain unloading equipment + unmanned substation inspection system + full-process intelligent management system for bulk grain terminals,” covering front-end unloading equipment, back-end power facilities, and operation management systems. It is the largest specialized bulk grain full-process automated and intelligent upgrade in China. Upon completion, the project has resulted in 3 invention patents, 8 utility model patents, 1 software copyright, and 3 papers, demonstrating remarkable achievements.

Combining the characteristics of traditional bulk grain terminal operations, the project completed the domestication and automation upgrade of berths 6-8, increasing capacity from 4 million tons/year to 4.5 million tons/year. It achieved the first-ever fully automated collaboration of multiple types of ship unloading equipment (shared cargo) and continuous scraper-type ship unloaders in the bulk grain sector, improving overall productivity by 20%, reducing labor costs by approximately 79%, and achieving a equipment utilization rate of 98.4%. The risks caused by high temperatures, dust, and mechanical failures have been significantly reduced.

The project installed inspection robots at the substation, establishing an unmanned inspection operation system capable of comprehensively sensing and collecting equipment status and environmental information within the station. This enables real-time monitoring, fault diagnosis, and abnormal early warning, enhancing equipment operational stability. Six-axis robotic arms autonomously replace operational tools, allowing live-line operations to improve response times and reduce operational safety risks.

Relying on digital twin technology, the project independently developed a full-process smart management system for bulk grain unloading, connecting data across ship unloading, storage, loading, and shipping processes. By integrating and analyzing vast amounts of data, it achieves intelligent management and decision support for the entire bulk grain unloading operation, effectively solving the scattered and difficult-to-manage issues of equipment, storage yards, and vehicle transfers within the port under traditional models.