Berth and Quay Cranes Allocation Problem with On-Shore Power Supply Assignment in Container Terminals

Abstract

On-shore power supply (OPS) is a promising energy-saving and carbon emission-reduction technology for ports. The world’s leading container terminals are accelerating the deployment of OPS facilities, but the problem of low OPS utilization has always plagued the transformation and upgrading of green port. OPS assignment, berth allocation and quay crane assignment problems (BACAPs) are integrated and important operational decisions that affect the economic and environmental benefits of the container terminal. This paper studies the model and solutions of BACAP in container terminals using OPS, aiming to increase service efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. A mixed-integer programming model was formulated based on the in-depth analysis of the cost structure and carbon emissions of vessels. To solve the proposed model, an adaptive immune clone selection algorithm was developed to improve the convergence speed and population diversity. Numerical experiments based on practical instances identified the validity of the model and the superiority of the proposed algorithm over benchmark methods. Sensitivity analysis provided managerial insights for port operators and governments.

Keywords: berth allocation, carbon taxation, immune clone algorithm, Mixed-integer programming, on-shore power supply, sensitivity analysis