China’s first vacuum-based automatic vessel mooring system has been put into operation at Qingdao Port, reducing mooring time to just 30 seconds compared with 20–30 minutes using traditional methods. The technology began operating on January 1 at a fully automated container terminal and was first applied during the berthing of the 366-meter-long container ship MSC Saudi Arabia. The mooring process is carried out without human involvement: vacuum modules secure the vessel’s hull directly to the quay, eliminating the need for mooring lines. A total of 13 modules have been installed along the berth, designed to handle container vessels over 200 meters in length. According to port authorities, the system is expected to reduce total vessel berthing time by more than 200 hours per year, equivalent to handling over ten additional vessel calls at a single berth. Beyond productivity gains, the key benefit lies in a significant improvement in industrial safety, as removing manual operations in high-risk mooring areas greatly reduces hazards for port workers. The project further strengthens Qingdao’s position as a benchmark site for scaling intelligent port technologies across China.
