Порт Нейпир в Новой Зеландии запустил первый в стране автопарк беспилотных грузовиков

The first autonomous truck to arrive at Napier Port. It can operate with or without a driver in the cab. Photo / Napier Port Napier Port’s self-driving truck fleet has started to arrive and will be phased into operation later this year, marking a first for New Zealand ports. The port is investing more than $20 million to introduce 12 autonomous truck and trailer units at its container terminal, with the goal of improvingoperations. The first Sany battery-electric autonomous truck arrived from China in April, and has since been used for “training purposes only”. The port has named it Sanctuary after an internal competition. The next 11 trucks arrive next month, all of which can operate with or without a driver in the cab. “They will initially operate manually, with drivers in the trucks. “We haven’t set a firm date for autonomous operations, as the transition will depend on successful testing and validation, and meeting the required safety and operational criteria.” The trucks will be used only around the container terminal and won’t go outside the port. The port expanded its safety team to prepare for the changes, and has worked closely with an international consultant and Maritime New Zealand. When the trucks are used autonomously, a team will supervise them around the port. The trucks rely on sensors, cameras and data and can make decisions in real time, such as stopping if something is in their way. Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) is keeping a close eye on the rollout, with safety a key focus. Central region organiser Allan Addison-Saipe visited the port this week and watched a demonstration in which the truck operated autonomously while a driver sat inside the cab. He said the port had kept the union up to date on the project, and testing had been extensive. It would be interesting to see how the trucks functioned in a working environment, compared to a controlled environment, he said. From the union’s perspective, the impact of automation on jobs was “of concern”. “The workers are a little concerned because they see the writing on the wall with jobs, and we are in a wait-and-see about that.” It was “very much a changing world” with artificial intelligence and automation, as new technologies became more available and affordable, he said. To his knowledge, Napier Port was the first in New Zealand to introduce autonomous trucks. Port of Auckland previously introduced automated straddle carriers – essentially cranes that move on wheels – but that project proved unsuccessful, and a decision was made in 2022 to shift back to manual operation. Ten workers at Napier Port recently completed their Level 5 electric vehicle qualification through EIT as part of the changes. The port says there has been no redundancies to date as a result of the project. What will the trucks be used for? The main function of the autonomous fleet is to change the way containers are moved between the container yard and ships. At present, large diesel-powered reachstackers lift containers off a stack, then move them between the yard and the wharf. Reachstackers will still be used to lift containers from a stack, but instead of transporting them to the cranes, they will load the containers on to a truck and trailer unit, which will drive them to and from the ships. The changes are expected to reduce wear and maintenance costs for the reachstackers, decrease congestion within the container terminal (providing more space between rows and more storage capacity), and improve efficiency. A new battery swap station is part of the investment and is almost complete. Napier Port is 55% owned by Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company (essentially the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council) and 45% is listed on the NZX stock exchange.