How to Manage Berths in Ports With On-Shore Power Supply Technology

This paper addresses a port operations management optimization problem, focusing on the implementation of green port technology, specifically on-shore power supply (OPS) systems deployed at container port berths. The study examines the allocation of berths and quay cranes to incoming vessels, considering the number of OPS units available in the port. A multi-objective integrated optimization model is proposed to solve this integrated problem, incorporating decisions regarding vessel berthing positions, quay crane assignments, berthing times, and OPS assignments, with the goal of minimizing departure penalty costs and carbon emissions. To efficiently solve the proposed model, we introduce a carbon tax to convert the multi-objective problem into a single-objective MILP problem and design a tailored algorithm with acceleration techniques based on the column generation (CG) procedure. Extensive computational experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. Results show that our algorithm outperforms CPLEX within a 1-hour time limit and achieves significant cost and energy savings compared to a sequential approach. The proposed framework offers practical insights for port managers seeking to improve operational efficiency and environmental performance.