Busan Port Manned Control Crane Converted to Unmanned Remote Crane

BPA, New Port 3rd Pier-Small Business Collaboration... Remote Control Technology Development and Equipment Localization Initiated

Busan Port Authority (BPA) has launched a technology development project to enable remote unmanned control of the existing manned cranes at Busan Port.

Unmanned remote control of a crane in operation.

Container port cranes are essential core equipment for cargo handling operations, divided into quay cranes that load and unload containers on ships and yard cranes that move containers within the container yard.

All yard cranes at Busan Port are operated via unmanned remote control, but unmanned remote control technology was introduced only at the newly opened New Port Pier 6 in September 2022. The other previously opened piers are still operated by personnel onboard.

Although the unmanned remote control method requires higher initial investment compared to manned operation, it is widely adopted in smart ports worldwide due to its superior effects on operational stability, productivity improvement, and accident prevention.

BPA plans to develop domestically produced control equipment that can be attached to existing manned cranes to enable remote control, and partially localize key components.

This project began when Hanjin Busan Container Terminal (HJNC), the operator of New Port Pier 3, proposed to BPA the development of domestic technology for converting existing cranes to unmanned automation.

After field surveys and R&D planning, BPA applied for and was finally selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ win-win cooperative joint investment R&D project, receiving 340 million KRW in national funding.

The technology development will be undertaken by ‘MBE’, a crane control solution specialist company, and ‘PysisSoft’, a company specializing in the development and operation of Terminal Operating Systems (TOS).

Over two years, with a total project budget of 800 million KRW, the project will develop methods for automating existing manned quay cranes, develop alternative technologies to replace foreign technologies applied in existing crane control, and develop various sensors and control methods for automation and safety.

BPA and HJNC plan to apply the technology to quay cranes in the second half of 2025, conduct on-site testing and functional inspections, and support additional advanced technology development in parallel with the R&D.

After completing technology development and verification, BPA will collaborate with pier operators to gradually convert existing quay cranes to unmanned remote control and promote the replacement of foreign technologies applied to yard cranes with domestic technologies.

Kang Jun-seok, President of BPA, said, “Along with the successful operation of the fully unmanned automated New Port Pier 7, which opened last April, we will expand technological investment and cooperation with SMEs to enhance the competitiveness of existing piers and strive to grow Busan Port into a truly global smart port.”

Schematic diagram of automated retrofit technology for quay cranes applying domestic technology.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.