Assessment of Quay and Yard Transshipment Operations Under Proximity Limitations in Multi-Terminal Container Ports

Abstract

The assignment of storage locations and space has a considerable impact on the performance of container terminals. This holds especially in multi-terminal transshipment ports where the planning of inbound and outbound container flows needs to consider space limitations and travel distances for reallocations, causing both intra- and inter-terminal transports. Thus, in this work, we study the impact of closeness limitations on quay and yard areas when conducting transshipment operations at multi-terminal transshipment ports. In doing so, a mathematical formulation and several scenarios covering different distance policies for limiting the allocation of containers before vessel loading or unloading operations are assessed. At a tactical level, this paper provides insights on assignment decisions while assessing distance-based policies that can be incorporated in practice.