信德海事网-专业海事信息咨询服务平台 登录 | 注册 [ 设为首页 ] [ 加入收藏 ] 中文版 ENGLISH WeChat Mobile --> --> ENGLISH   >   PORT --> No Lines, No Crew on the Quay: China’s First Vacuum Auto-Mooring Goes Live 2026-01-05 08:47 By： xinde marine news 分享： --> --> --> 评论 --> --> On January 1, 2026, Qingdao Port (Shandong Port Group) marked the first day of the new year with a major milestone in terminal innovation: China’s first vacuum-based automatic mooring system officially entered operation at the Qingdao Automated Container Terminal. In a live operation, the 366-meter container vessel MSC Saudi Arabia approached the berth with no crews handling mooring lines on the quay. Instead, the system automatically identified and positioned the vessel, then secured it using high-vacuum suction units—completing mooring in under 30 seconds. For comparison, conventional mooring typically takes 20–30 minutes per call. Key capabilities include: 13 mooring units installed along the quay line Up to 2,600 kN total holding force when operating simultaneously Designed to meet automatic mooring requirements for container ships over 200 meters, including the largest vessels in operation A “remote control center + mobile terminal + local unit” three-layer control architecture Multi-sensor fusion and intelligent decision-making algorithms, integrating hydraulic drive, high-vacuum suction, real-time motion tracking, and monitoring of wind/wave/current conditions for active station-keeping control Beyond speed, the bigger impact is safety and productivity. By removing personnel from the mooring line danger zone and reshaping the mooring/unmooring process, the system supports safer operations. Qingdao Port estimates the solution can save more than 200 hours of berthing time annually—equivalent to enabling 10+ additional vessel calls per berth each year—while also contributing to greener, more efficient logistics. This is another strong example of how automation is expanding from equipment and control s