On January 1, 2026, at the fully automated container terminal of Qingdao Port in Shandong Province, the vessel “Mediterranean Saudi Arabia” slowly berthed without any manual mooring operations—marking the official launch of China's first vacuum-based automated mooring system. Developed independently by Qingdao Port's “Liangang Innovation Team” in collaboration with industry manufacturers, the system employs 13 mooring units capable of generating 2,600 kilonewtons of suction force, meeting the mooring requirements for the world's largest container ships.

Unlike traditional methods, this system integrates multi-sensor perception, intelligent algorithms, and high-vacuum suction technology to respond in real time to changes in wind, waves, and currents. It enables rapid vessel identification, precise positioning, and automatic stable mooring. Its three-tier architecture—remote centralized control + mobile terminals + local standalone units—not only reduces mooring time per vessel to under 30 seconds but also completely isolates personnel from the risk zone of broken mooring lines.

Estimates indicate the system can save over 200 hours of berthing time annually, equivalent to handling more than 10 additional vessels per berth, significantly boosting port throughput efficiency. As a pivotal component of smart port development, this technological breakthrough reaffirms Qingdao Port's transformation from a follower to a leader.

Objectively speaking, such highly integrated automated equipment is not merely an efficiency tool but a tangible manifestation of new productive forces within port operations. While ensuring the efficient flow of foreign trade logistics, it also provides a replicable technical pathway for building green, safe, and intelligent modern ports. Looking ahead, the widespread adoption of similar systems is expected to further solidify the global competitiveness of China's ports.