Welcome to AMOVA – Start moving
The future is vertical – based upon these few words, the newly established Joint Venture BOXBAY is heading for high goals: To revolutionize the handling and storage of containers at ports worldwide.
BOXBAY, which is a joint venture between global port operator DP World and industrial engineering firm SMS Group/AMOVA, will install a first phase of an HBS system at Jebel Ali Terminal 4 by October next year in time for the Dubai Expo 2020. The full extension will then begin after the end of the World Expo.
AMOVA GmbH, an affiliate of German SMS group, successfully transferred their know how of fully-automated Highbay Storage Systems (HBS) for heavy loads into the application of container terminals. The proven technology has been available for decades for the storage of steel and aluminium coils, the same weight class as containers. But the decisive step away from drawings and simulations into the rough reality of terminal industry would not have been possible without the establishment of BOXBAY. This unique Joint Venture, the first ever between manufacturer and operator of container handling systems, was created by combining forces of SMS group with its subsidiary AMOVA and DP World. DP World is one of the largest terminal operators worldwide, and their input finally helped to develop the blueprint for a completely new concept to operate container terminals. The first construction phase of the new terminal in Jebel Ali based on high-bay warehouse technology will be commissioned during Summer 2020, and finally on display for the World Expo hosted in Dubai, starting October 2020.
The TOC Europe was the perfect platform to officially announce the start of the Joint Venture as well as the pioneering order for Jebel Ali Terminal 4. These two facts enabled the audience to distinct the BOXBAY approach from previous concepts for container handling. This approach offers a variety of huge benefits, especially compared to conventional solutions.
The BOXBAY booth was well attended every day, and presentations, including Q&A sessions, bolstered the solid impression of the visitors - the future is vertical!
Dr. Mathias Dobner, CEO of BOXBAY said: “The great interest is understandable, as we launch the first truly new operating concept for container terminals since the introduction of automated stacking cranes (ASC) and automated guided vehicles (AGV). Since then, the handling systems have actually only been continuously improved incrementally. Now we offer a system that does not offer 10% or 15% more storage capacity in the same space, but more than three times. This is really "disruptive".
BOXBAY sees above all great market opportunities in the modernization of long-standing brownfield sites, which no longer have growth prospects due to the lack of expansion space. Dobner said: "Some operators see little chance of expanding their port due to land costs or no land at all, environmental concerns or spatial constraints due to nearby urban areas. In these scenarios BOXBAY is the ideal solution.”
More information – BOX-BAY.COM