Port of Gothenburg proceeds with the digitalization of the vessel arrival process, introducing a new platform, called Digital Port Call”, which is now part of the port’s maritime infrastructure, providing fresh conditions for a faster, safer, more efficient, and sustainable ship call process.
Sweden’s major port is the largest in Scandinavia, handling approximately 6,000 ship calls annually. At each arrival, a multitude of actors in the port are activated, from the moment a vessel enters the port area until it is berthed.
From the departure of a vessel from its previous port until it arrives at the Port of Gothenburg, large amounts of information need to be communicated between up to 120 different parts that need to be synchronized, including shipping companies, terminals, tugboats, pilots, boatmen, and traffic planners, according to Fredrik Rauer, Manager Port Control at the Gothenburg Port Authority.
He explains, “With our Digital Port Call platform, all necessary information can be collected and processed into a common situational awareness that provides data-driven decision support throughout the call process. This provides better predictability and opportunities for more efficient resource planning, while any disruptions can be detected and addressed early.”
The platform also enables Just-In-Time arrivals for vessels. By receiving a “digital queue ticket” well in advance of arrival, vessels avoid rushing into the port area for a favorable slot time. Instead, it can adjust to a more eco-friendly and cost-effective speed during the sailing from the previous port so that upon arrival in the Gothenburg port area, it can proceed directly to a pre-assigned quay.
Inter Terminals is a terminal company in the Port of Gothenburg Energy Port as well as a port call actor providing data to Digital Port Call. The company has also been a collaborating partner in preparation for the platform’s launch.
“Digital Port Call enhances the flow of information between actors in the Energy Port and provides opportunities for our customers to reduce their fuel consumption, so it has been natural for us to be involved from the beginning,” pointed out Thomas Andersson, Manager Logistics Services at Inter Terminals.
When calculating the total reduction in anchorage and berth time, the Port of Gothenburg expects a decrease of 6,000 tons of CO2 emissions in the port area per year thanks to the conditions created by Digital Port Call.
Gabriella Ståhle, Production Planner in the Energy Port at the Port of Gothenburg AB, who has been involved in developing the platform, explains, “And these numbers don’t even include the reduction that will occur outside the port area due to slow steaming from the previous port. When we add that other port call actors are now able to use their resources more wisely and efficiently in the process, we can conclude that all parties benefit from Digital Port Call.”
