Port Traffic Database

Methodology

AIS-based Port Congestion Indicators Generation Process (Developed by the Korea Maritime Institute)

1. Data extraction

  • Selection of records of container ships located within port limits and with speeds below 5 knots

2. Generation of port calls

  • Segmentation of data by International Maritime Organization (IMO) ship identification number.
  • Tagging as separate port calls of two consecutive records of the same IMO number with a time gap of more than 24 hours.

3. Extraction of port calls with berthing

  • Exclusion of port calls by transiting ships.

4. Derivation of port congestion indicators

  • Number of vessel arrivals
  • Number of vessels stayed
  • Waiting time (at anchorage)
  • Service time (at berth)
R {ggmap}, QGIS, Google Earth, ‘Ports & Terminals Guide’ by IHS Markit are used for analysis

Framework for Estimating Port Congestion

Step 1: Define Coordinates of Anchorages and Berths

  • Use sources such as IHS Markit’s Ports and Terminals Guide and satellite maps.
  • Distinguish between container berths and other areas (e.g., repair yards).
  • Use AIS data to capture unofficial anchorage zones.

Step 2: Identify Port Calls

  • Broaden port limits to encompass waiting ships.
  • Filter AIS records (speed < 5 knots).
  • Validate port calls involve actual loading/unloading.
  • Process multiple port visits as separate calls.

Step 3: Quantify Congestion Indices

  • Key indices: No. of vessel arrivals, No. of vessel stayed, Avg. service time, Avg. waiting time

Definition of Port Congestion Indicators

Number of vessel arrivals

  • The total count of ships entering a port during a specific period, measured by identifying the total count of new port calls within the week.

Number of vessels stayed

  • The count of ships present in the port at a given time, including both berthed vessels and those waiting to berth, measured by identifying the total count of vessels present in the port area engaged in loading/unloading activities within the week

Waiting time (at anchorage)

  • The period a vessel spends waiting to berth after arriving at the port, before cargo handling operations begin, measured by identifying the time gap between the first and last record within the anchorage area

Service time (at berth)

  • The duration from when a vessel berths until the completion of cargo loading and unloading operations, measured by identifying the time gap between the first and last record within the berth area.