As the first of its kind in Asia, the fully automated container terminal at Shandong Port Group's (SPG) Qingdao Port achieved an average efficiency of 60.18 moves of 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per hour for a single crane on June 28, breaking the previous world record for the ninth time.

The new record is an essential step for SPG to make it a top-tier green and smart port, demonstrating that the group is outfitted with cutting-edge technology to accomplish high-quality development and guarantee the stability of industrial and supply chains.

Despite a resurgence of domestic COVID-19 cases and a complicated external environment, SPG has taken well-coordinated steps to respond to COVID-19 and pursue economic and social development, which has promoted the steady growth of the port. According to official data, the cargo and the container throughput at Qingdao Port increased by 3.3 percent and 7.8 percent year-on-year, respectively.

Since SPG's coordinated development, the group has set the lofty objective of creating the most advanced smart and green ports in the world, and it has achieved incredible results in enhancing its capacity for independent growth.

The goal is to give strong support for developing China's strength in science and technology as well as transforming the country into a powerful maritime nation. Efforts will be made to make breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields.

Different from traditional ports powered by manual labor, the fully automated container terminal at Qingdao Port uses only robots and machines to load and unload shipping containers. [Photo/WeChat account: Shandong-Port]