Gateway Terminals India (GTI), operating under the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), will soon trial India’s first automated mooring system (AMS), marking a significant upgrade in the country’s port technology landscape. The pilot, to be deployed at GTI’s private container terminal, is aimed at transforming one of the most labour-intensive and high-risk activities in port operations.
The AMS will replace manual handling of heavy mooring ropes with a fully mechanised system, greatly improving worker safety and reducing the hazards traditionally associated with securing and releasing vessels.
The technology is also expected to deliver strong operational gains. Automating mooring and unmooring is projected to cut turnaround times substantially, enabling faster berthing and departure of vessels—an important advantage for JNPA, India’s busiest container gateway.
Terminal officials note that the system can also help increase berth utilisation without adding physical infrastructure. Because automated mooring requires less spacing between ships than conventional rope-based methods, it allows more efficient use of available quay length, a key consideration at space-constrained Nhava Sheva.
As per JNPA’s tender, the AMS must be capable of handling a wide range of vessel sizes—from container ships of around 10,000 DWT and 150 metres in length to ultra-large vessels up to 200,000 DWT and 400 metres. Under optimal conditions, the system is expected to complete mooring in 120 seconds and unmooring in just 60 seconds.
The initiative underscores JNPA’s push toward next-generation port infrastructure and its commitment to driving efficiency, safety, and technological advancement across India’s maritime logistics ecosystem.
