Hutchison Ports Port of Felixstowe announced the deployment of its first autonomous trucks — believed to be the first port in Europe to introduce autonomous terminal tractor units (ATs) into mixed traffic container terminal operations.

In a statement, the port said the first two battery-powered units to enter service at the UK's largest container port have been supplied by manufacturer Westwell.

"These new autonomous trucks represent a significant technological step forward for the Port of Felixstowe. The tools underpinning port operations have evolved continuously and we already have a range of very advanced systems and equipment in place but this is the first time we will have wholly driverless vehicles," said Clemence Cheng, chief executive officer at the Port of Felixstowe.

With safety as a major priority, Cheng noted that the ATs have a range of built-in safety features which will allow them to navigate effectively and safely within the port's container terminals.

In its announcement, the port noted that the autonomous trucks use a digital map which is loaded into a fleet management system that controls the navigation around the port.

The AT then combines that map with its onboard GPS navigation to track its real-time position.

"The Port of Felixstowe has a long record of innovation and we are very excited by this latest development at the port," said Karen Poulter, project director, Hutchison Ports UK chief information officer.

Poulter noted that the ATs use LiDAR  — a light sensing technology that creates a 3D map of an AT's surroundings using a laser and receiver, which, when combined with its onboard 360-degree cameras, provide real-time, all-round "vision".

This enables the ATs to "see everything" instantaneously in its vicinity to allow safe and accurate navigation, the statement added.

"With the support of an Extreme Precise Position (EPP) system, it can achieve a positioning accuracy of 2 cm and a steering angle accuracy of 0.5 degrees," Poulter further said.

The ATs have been through a thorough commissioning and testing programme.

They are to be used initially to transport containers between the port's Trinity and North Rail terminals.