At the 2026 conference on accelerating the construction of a country with strong transportation network, held recently in Wuhan, the Ministry of Transport unveiled 12 exemplary cases from its national pilot program for transport modernization. Among the selected projects, the initiative submitted by the Shandong Provincial Department of Transport, titled "Shandong Builds Qingdao Smart Port Fully Automated Container Terminal," stood out as the sole representative from the province to make the list.
Located on the southern bank of Qianwan Port Area, the fully automated container terminal at Qingdao Port boasts a 2,088-meter coastline capable of accommodating 200,000-ton container vessels. It ranks among the world's most advanced fully automated container terminals and holds the distinction of being the first "hydrogen + 5G" smart green port, as well as the nation's first fully domestically developed and operated automated terminal.
The terminal's operational prowess is driven by its intelligent management system (A-TOS) and next-generation equipment control system (A-ECS), which together serve as the facility's "smart brain" and "neural network." These systems orchestrate the entire workflow with precision, integrating ten functional modules covering intelligent vessel handling, yard management, scheduling, control, and gate operations. Designed to support manual, semi-automated, and fully automated terminal scenarios, the A-TOS employs multi-dimensional algorithmic acceleration to achieve "second-level" computation for terminals handling ten million TEUs annually. Meanwhile, the latest A-ECS marks a global first by enabling non-stop upgrades and maintenance of terminal equipment control systems.
Statistical data highlights the terminal's exceptional performance: overall operational efficiency has surged 30% compared to traditional terminals, with throughput exceeding 320,000 TEUs per 100 meters of coastline. Yard container relocation rates have dropped by 15%, and labor requirements have been slashed by 80%. Average loading and unloading efficiency reaches 36.2 containers per hour, while individual crane productivity hits 62.62 containers per hour. To date, the facility has broken world records for automated terminal efficiency thirteen times.
Perched on the shores of the Yellow Sea, this automated terminal is channeling China's advanced smart port technologies and mature solutions to the global stage, serving as a benchmark for achieving high-level technological self-reliance and fostering new quality productive forces.