Terminal Optimization and Simulation

The Challenge

DPW San Antonio (the former Puerto Central S.A.) is the leading terminal operator in the Port of San Antonio, Chile. For the years 2019-2022, the terminal expected additional services and bigger vessel call sizes. This would not only increase annual throughput volumes and average utilization levels, but also lead to increasing peak situations for quay, yard and gate operations. To cope with these peaks and growing container volumes, in particular the storage yard with its limited space for extension needed to be prepared to avoid capacity bottlenecks and decreasing service levels. Against this background, DPW San Antonio assigned HPC to identify and develop tailored yard optimization measures and to quantify their potential to increase terminal capacity and quay crane productivity by means of detailed simulation analysis.

Tasks Performed

• Review and analysis of present terminal operations
• Identification of bottlenecks, inefficiencies and room for improvement
• Development of 12 yard optimization measures, including process changes, layout modifications and improved stacking patterns
• Summary of all study assumptions and simulation inputs in the Simulation Assumptions Document (SAD) for approval by DPW San Antonio
• Implementation of a highly realistic and credible terminal simulation model for DPW San Antonio in HPC’s terminal simulation tool
• Simulation analysis, quantifying improvement potential of developed optimization measures and determining equipment requirements
• Summary of all study results in the Simulation Analysis Report (SAR)
• Presentation of study results to DPW San Antonio management

Benefit 

• Increased capacity by 10.5%
• Improved quay crane productivity by 29.7%
• Reduced truck-turn time by 9.0%