Utilization of fully automated container terminals for improving efficiency of port logistics and supply chain (port complex of Shahid Rajai)

Globalization and as a result the dramatic expansion of container logistics operations urged the need for optimizing the triple operation of container terminals to increase speed and reduce the time of operation. In this article, in a feasibility study for construction and mobilization of two different types of container terminals (conventional and automated), they have been reviewed, analyzed, and their cost effectiveness have been compared. In this research, several economic and technical aspects of the container terminal of Shahid Rajai, port equipped with container handling equipment dependent on human resources as conventional case and fully automated terminal of the same port (stimulated by ARENA software) as the automated case is studied. Here, the components of costs have a considerable role in the range of economic elements of the project and analysis of the distribution of their relative contribution is essential. Since the economic evaluation of the project based on assumptions and variables which their values are associated with uncertainty and because of the sensitivity and importance of estimation of income risk in this study, COMFAR software is used for the economic and financial analysis and evaluation. Based on the results of the cost analysis, automatic container terminal with an interest rate of 2.5% allocate the most share of capital and operating costs. Also in this type of terminal, the sensitivity of internal rate of return is greater than the selling price of container services from other types of terminals. Ultimately the risk analysis shows that with 90 percent confidence level, the limit of the rate of internal return is not less than 16.89% and this proves the economic advantages of automation of handling equipment for container terminals in ports of Iran.