A new Empty Container Park (ECP) is now under construction at New South Wales’ Port Botany, in an effort to streamline supply chains and reduce truck congestion.
The 6,000TEU capacity facility – to be operated by independent transport and logistics provider MEDLOG – promises to boost efficiency by increasing empty container storage capacity at Port Botany.
NSW Ports Chief Executive Officer, Marika Calfas, said the facility’s proximity to stevedores would also reduce handling times.
“This extra empty container park in the Port Botany industrial precinct will enhance the capacity and productivity of the NSW supply chains on which we all rely,” Ms Calfas said.
“MEDLOG’s facility will reduce the cost of handling containers, as trucks will be able to drop off empty containers and collect new arrivals without having to leave the port precinct – a time saver that will reduce congestion and truck queues.
“This new development will ensure NSW Ports and our partners can continue to meet the State’s growing trade needs while delivering an efficient and sustainable service to businesses and consumers.”
MEDLOG’s empty container park, which will open in 2023, will adopt the latest technology for operations, including paperless processing, to make truck movements safer and more productive and will feature sustainability initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and solar PV panels for power supply.
MEDLOG’s Chief Operating Officer, Ned Zver, said the business was delighted to expand its landside logistics services in Australia to provide further empty container storage capacity.
“Our landside logistics have been built on a global best practice approach, while pursuing continuous improvements to deliver efficiencies and benefits to the entire supply chain,” Mr Zver said.
“The Port Botany ECP will harness innovation and leading Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology that will make truck movements safer, more efficient and more productive.
“Essentially, this technology means that when a truck enters the ECP it shall pass through a large gantry scanner that will detect the type of cargo it’s carrying, after which a nearby computer will direct the driver to a designated bay – resulting in quicker, safer container offloads.”