AUTHOR=Souravlias Dimitris , Dafnomilis Ioannis , Ley Jens , Assbrock Gerrit , Duinkerken Mark B. , Negenborn Rudy R. , Schott Dingena L. 

TITLE=Design Framework for a Modular Floating Container Terminal

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2020

YEAR=2020

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2020.545637

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2020.545637

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=The design and development of an offshore port terminal is a complex task that involves distinctive design and decision challenges. In this paper, we propose the implementation of a floating, modular, platform that can act as an additional terminal of a port, with the aim of expanding its current container handling capacity. To this end, we introduce a generic methodology to tackle three aspects of an offshore terminal: terminal layout design, strategic logistics optimization, and operational process coordination. The terminal layout design includes the modular arrangements, handling on and between platform modules by the associated equipment. The layout design is chosen by evaluating the generated designs on criteria such as layout complexity, scalability, and the number of moves associated with the modular nature of the platform. The selected concept is subsequently given as input to a strategic logistics optimization approach that introduces a mixed-integer linear programming model. The proposed model minimizes the capital, operational, and maintenance costs for the floating modular terminal, i.e. number and size of modules, number, and type of equipment and capacities. In parallel, we develop a simulation of the floating terminal's hinterland connections, where the number and type of required vessels are specified for relevant destinations and transport configurations. At the operational level, we focus on the coordination of handling equipment on the offshore platform via the use of a tailored simulation/optimization approach. Our methodology is demonstrated on a case study that considers accommodating the growth of a port in the Hamburg-Le Havre range via the use of a modular, floating, transport, and logistics hub.