At the Meishan Port area of the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang province, self-driving container trucks move seamlessly along designated lanes, while unmanned cranes towering over 50 meters hoist cargo with precision. In a zone where hazardous goods are stored, a patrol robot scans for gas leaks or temperature anomalies, ensuring safety at one of China's busiest shipping hubs.

These are part of the daily routine at the port, according to Chen Xin, deputy general manager of Ningbo Meidong Container Terminal Co, which manages the port area.

"Empowered by technologies such as the internet of things, digital twin, 5G, AI and big data, we have upgraded the port area and set up an intelligent brain for it, including an interactive 3D visualization system that can monitor and measure operations in real time," Chen said. "It has greatly improved efficiency."

Container throughput at the Meishan Port area exceeded 11 million twenty-foot equivalent units at the end of last year. With one container truck passing inspection and entering the port area every two minutes, further increases are expected.

Its strong performance helped push cargo throughput at the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to 1.37 billion metric tons last year, up 4 percent from 2023, securing its position as the world's leader for the 16th consecutive year.

One beneficiary of Meishan's digital transformation is Wu Qifei, a veteran crane operator who joined the port in 2010.

In an air-conditioned room with fellow operators, Wu twisted sticks and pushed buttons on a control panel as containers were lifted or lowered on a screen.

"The only option for us in the past was to sit in a cabin no more than 5 square meters large up in the air," he said. "Constantly lowering my head caused great physical stress."

"Now, we can sit in an ergonomic chair in a comfortable office, doing our job remotely in a much easier and safer manner," he said.

The improved working conditions have also made the job more accessible to women, he added, something "unheard of and unimaginable back in the day". Wu's team has four female operators.

The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port is becoming greener as well as smarter.

Relying on wind and solar power, the Meishan Port area has generated more than 30 million kilowatt-hours since late August 2024, equivalent to a reduction of more than 11,500 tons of carbon emissions. At the Chuanshan Port area, another major container terminal, cumulative green power generation has reached 20 million kilowatt-hours.

The port's environmental efforts have been aided by maritime authorities in Ningbo. In late 2023, the city's maritime bureau launched the "container shipping punctuality and cost reduction" initiative to help shipping companies lower costs, enhance efficiency and save energy.

"The reliability of shipping schedules directly impacts container transportation costs, warehouse operations and terminal efficiency," said Huang Linlin, an official with the bureau.

Previously, schedules at different ports were managed independently, leading to congestion and delays. Now, maritime authorities release a unified schedule 24 hours in advance to enable punctual berthing.

A mobile app has also been developed for ports, shipping companies and vessels to share shipping data and track schedules.

Since its launch, the initiative has delivered significant environmental and economic benefits, according to the bureau. Fuel consumption has decreased by 30,700 tons, and carbon emissions have been cut by 99,000 tons — equivalent to planting about 5.5 million trees. Ships participating in the initiative have saved more than 9,000 hours in port waiting time, translating to 280 million yuan ($38.54 million) in cost savings.