Canada’s Port of Montreal revealed plans to leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI), using a new predictive tool to optimize port logistics. The tool is expected to improve the port’s operational planning by positively impacting the transit times for containerized cargo in the supply chain, especially for rail freight.
This project is another critical milestone towards the ‘Smart Port’ vision we are implementing. It will benefit all stakeholders involved in the chain by reducing cargo delays and transit time while maximizing throughput to our major logistics hub,
…said Daniel Dagenais, Vice-President, Operations at the Montreal Port Authority (MPA).
Namely, this AI solution aims to optimize freight train planning based on variables such as ship arrivals, rail car deliveries, storage capacity, workforce availability and more to achieve optimal fluidity.
The project is headed by the MPA in partnership with terminal operators Montreal Gateway Terminals Partnership and Termont Montreal Inc., as well as with EI Systems and Canscan.
This is the second project benefiting the the Port of Montreal and funded by the Government of Canada through Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence AI (Scale AI), an investment and innovation cluster that accelerates the application of artificial intelligence for supply chains.
The Port announced a total investment of $29 million to advance the transition to AI through five new projects.
The news actually follow an announcement in January 2020 that the Port would use AI to reduce GHG emissions. The port namely launched an upgrade of the Trucking PORTaI application, which helps port truck drivers plan their routes better and also enhances the traffic flow on port territory, playing a major role in reducing GHG emissions.
In addition, last May, the Port of Montreal partnered in a project that makes it possible to use AI to accelerate the handling of goods deemed “critical” in the current COVID-19 pandemic.
