Mega ships, slow terminal automation

The surging number of mega ships, increasingly powerful carrier alliances and sluggish global trade growth are making financially pressured container terminals think twice about making costly investments in automation, according to industry analysts.

Is this a good time to automate? Probably not. We’ve got an oversupply of terminal capacity, says Olaf Merk of the International transport Forum. Port capacity is running ahead of demand, which means terminal operators must figure out how to make better use of their current facilities rather than invest in new capacity. Automation can play a role by boosting productivity and utilisation.