Shanghai advances shipping industry with digital transformation, ambitious shipbuilding

Shanghai, a pivotal international shipping hub, is actively pursuing advancements in its shipping industry, aiming to set new records in shipbuilding and apply smart digital technologies to shipping management.

The city boasts an advanced shipbuilding industry, excelling in the construction of large vessels and specialized ships.

At the Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries shipyard, construction is underway on the world’s largest piling vessel, measuring 150 meters in length.

Piling vessels have a wide range of applications, ranging from constructing cross-sea bridges to offshore wind farms and oil and gas platforms. The construction of these vessels demands meticulous attention to detail.

“Both the manufacturing and installation of components require precise accuracy, so it’s important that thermal expansion and contraction are consistent during the welding process,” said Li Jie, a designer with the company.

Apart from shipbuilding, Shanghai has enhanced its ship management capabilities by utilizing technologies such as satellite positioning and 5G.

With the integration of these technologies, the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration can effectively monitor ship movements, particularly those carrying hazardous goods, to ensure maritime safety.

“Those marked in red with bubbles are ships with hazardous goods. This highlighted display is intended to help us monitor and provide reminders to them,” said Shen Baoxing, deputy director of the administration’s vessel traffic management center.

A container terminal at the Shanghai Port has also undergone technological upgrades, enabling positioning and navigation technologies to efficiently direct containers to their designated vehicles.

“5G technology can penetrate certain steel barriers, enabling us to transmit signals more accurately to our unmanned vehicles. This allows them to stop precisely at designated positions, thereby enhancing the operational efficiency of our bridge cranes,” said Zhou Wei, general manager of a container terminal company.
Source: Bastillepost