FOR SOME PEOPLE, Kwai Chung is little more than a station they pass on the Tsuen Wan line. However, as the home of Hong Kong's main container shipping terminals, the area is at the heart of a sophisticated logistics network that stretches around the globe.
Every day, an average 28 vessels call at Kwai Chung port. They load or discharge about 40,000 teu (20-ft equivalent units) in container volume. Taking advantage of intermodal transport links, the containers connect by road, rail, barge or other shipping services, giving exporters and trading companies access to every corner of the world.
The volume of container traffic passing through the port, as well as the size of vessels, has grown steadily. Kwai Chung has been a vital part of Hong Kong's success story over the past three decades. To keep pace with developments, terminal operators are leading the way in deploying the latest state-of-the-art technology.
'Without computer back-up, it would be very difficult to operate efficiently,' said Joel Cheung, corporate affairs manager at Modern Terminals, one of Hong Kong's largest terminal companies, and with a growing presence in the mainland.
Operations such as ship planning and calculating vessel stability are now computerised. Specialist software and hi-tech systems also ensure that quay cranes work at maximum efficiency, and the time spent in port for vessels with a capacity of 8,000 teu or more is kept to a minimum.
Modern Terminals has also introduced software to map and plan the positioning of containers in the storage yard. This has been a huge boon to operations and to facilitating the multiple movements that take place daily, including lifts on and off trucks, transfers to or from shipside, and shifts in the terminal. The software has helped to streamline operations and optimise the use of limited space.