Autonomous transport tender suspended

The Port of Rotterdam Authority has decided to suspend the tender procedure for unmanned transport on the Container Exchange Route (CER), citing “operational and financial risks”.

“At present, there are too many risks and uncertainties standing in the way of the development of a sufficiently competitive product,” said the port authority.

It explained: “The fact that the tendering procedure has now been suspended does not mean that there is no suitable party who can supply the required technology. The tender procedure did produce a technically feasible proposal from a supplier of autonomous vehicles. However, the complexity of the project does not relate solely to what is technically possible. The operational and financial risks for the complete container exchange implementation must also be acceptable.”

In the coming months, the port authority will enter a consultation period concerning how the CER can be used for manned container transport.

The port authority believes that there are openings and prospects for fully autonomous transport from stack to stack in the future and said it will continue to consult with potential suppliers and stakeholders to see how to achieve that goal.