With the work done by DP World Posorja´s IT department in conjunction with Furukawa Electric and the ICT solutions and services provider, Logicalis, the Port of Posorja now has a multi-purpose IT infrastructure at the terminal in Posorja.
DP World Posorja, a transnational DP World group company, is a leading smart logistics solutions provider, which allows commercial flow throughout the world.
Its wide range of products and services covers all links in the integrated supply chain, from maritime and land terminals to marine services and industrial parks, as well as technology-driven customer solutions.
It provides these services through an interconnected global network of 128 business units in 60 countries on six continents.
DP World Posorja aims to become one of the most active and important ports in the region. Its structure was designed with the most cutting-edge technology, with a 16.5-meter-deep channel that allows Neo Panamax vessels with a maximum load capacity to enter – the first to navigate in Ecuadorian waters.
With the work done by DP World Posorja´s IT department in conjunction with Furukawa Electric and the ICT solutions and services provider, Logicalis, the port now has a multi-purpose IT infrastructure at the terminal in Posorja.
This project is the first Smart Deep Water port terminal in Ecuador. It has the capacity to receive Neo Panamax ships of up to 15,000 TEUS; a new 21 kilometer road to give direct, orderly and safe access to the port; a new and safer access channel that is 16.5 meters deep and 21 nautical miles long; and finally, a logistics and industrial park next to the port in Posorja with the ZEDE (Zona Especial de Desarrollo Económico – Special Economic Development Zone) modality.
The challenge
DP World Posorja’s Deep Water Port is consolidated as the Smart Port of Ecuador. Innovation is in its DNA and since construction, it has invested in IT technology and innovation creating the most efficient, safe and profitable commercial solutions.
At the technological level, it was sought to be considered a Smart Port, which means that all its processes are automated in real time. So, an added value is technology, ensuring that operations are continuous and agile. This type of development provides immediacy, high availability portability and above all, innovation.
In addition, it has developed a cloud-based technology plan for remote work. The strategy has been adequate, even during the pandemic, due to flexibility when accessing services.
Another great advance was transferring all the information to an online platform. From the start, the idea was to implement online systems that would allow customers and port personnel to carry out transactions virtually – such as making appointments, registering carriers and ship notifications, among other matters that did not require physical presence.
On the other hand, it was also vital to keep a short period available for implementation in mind. For this reason, configuration of the technology platform in the cloud began and then when the project was in its final stage, all the information was migrated to the new data centers and no time could be lost to carry out the different stages of the project. Currently, the port has hybrid IT architecture (cloud and on-premise).
Implemented solutions
Thanks to the work carried out by DP World Posorja’s IT team in conjunction with Logicalis and Furukawa, the port in Posorja now has the most cutting-edge technology in fiber optic communications infrastructure to optimize its administrative and logistical processes and thus provide 100% optimal connections to its personnel.
The port has cranes that communicate with each other and with all the dock systems, the container yard, the communication boxes and with the two computer centers that are located in the administrative building and in the workshop.
Likewise, equipment with the Navis TOS operating system is installed in the gantry cranes, which is connected to other computer systems in the port and security camera systems are also included.
Jhon Richard Martín, Head of Cabling for the Andean and Central America region, Furukawa Electric, said: “The work carried out by Furukawa Electric for Posorja can be developed because it has references from previous projects at ports such as Santos and Callao. The work with the company has been carried out and continues, thanks to other projects with DP World, since the same standard has been maintained and new business continues to advance.”
In addition to the fiber optic interconnection between the dock and the administrative center, cabling was supplied for the outdoor, indoor and DPL spaces, as well as all the optical accessories.
The key to the entire project is connectivity, so the fiber optic rings are the backbone of all the systems that work at the port. Thanks to these, the Posorja port has an industrial-type Wi-Fi connection, which means it has very low latencies and replication and synchronization of information between two online data centers.
Guillermo Veintimilla, IT Manager, DP World Posorja, said: “Furukawa’s added value is in its vast portfolio of products and services for this type of industry, as well as its warranty support, training and knowledge transfer, which gives the customer peace of mind.”
Benefits
The main objective of the port is to be a safe one, therefore, with the technology that was implemented in the online systems and the Wi-Fi, among other developments, customers and employees no longer have to travel to the port to carry out their transactions and can obtain information immediately.
Veintimilla said: “There are two reasons why these projects are developed: the first to be an example of evolution and progress for Ecuador, and the second is related to the technological aspect, since it must have global suppliers that provide a portfolio of high-quality products and solutions while at the same time demonstrating they are professionals in terms of support.
“For this reason, it is worth highlighting Furukawa´s accomplishments, for DP World it is an added value that generated peace of mind both in developing the port in Posorja and in developing the Logistics Center in Durán.”