BMF Port Burgas, the private operator of the ‘Burgas East-2’ and ‘Burgas West’ terminals in Burgas Bay on the Black Sea, is actively expanding its Container Terminal ACT Burgas.
Through investments in cutting-edge equipment and technology, BMF Port Burgas is boosting capacity, optimizing efficiency, and ensuring its operations align with the highest standards among European ports.
Currently, a new deep-water berth is under construction at the Bulgarian terminal, designed with a 15.5-meter depth and an approximately 54,000 sqm adjacent specialized yard for container handling and storage. Expected to be operational by mid-2025, this new berth will increase ACT Burgas’s annual capacity to 350,000 TEUs.
Customer-focused improvements have been central to the successful collaboration between DSP and ALLRead. DSP took charge of integrating AllRead’s OCR technology with NAVIS N4 and aligning it with all processes at ACT Burgas. Their scope included configuration, testing, field extensions, optimization, and go-live support services, complemented by localized training to ensure the management teams are fully prepared.
Furthermore, ACT Burgas’s IT team was instrumental in leading the acquisition and installation of the hardware infrastructure (cameras, lighting, servers, etc.), closely adhering to AllRead’s technical specifications and recommendations. The system went live in June 2024, having achieved high accuracy (exceeding 97%) and meeting the required standards in testing, TOS integration, and barrier operation.
“The adoption of last-generation technology is a must-have for a modern container terminal to stay competitive and offer top-quality service to its customers. Gate Operations are perfect candidate for process automation and digitalization. DSP’s mission is to integrate smoothly the best technological solutions like Allread OCR and NAVIS N4 TOS with the operating procedures” stated Marco Fehmer DSP CEO.
In addition, the system has been implemented to manage outbound traffic, which amounts to 500-1,000 crossings daily. Aiming to enhance efficiency and productivity in gate-out control, ACT Burgas has automated the previously manual process. The system identifies truck license plates and links them to the containers on the trailer, while also verifying the presence of container seals for added security.
During each transit, the license plate data is instantly synchronized with NAVIS N4 to confirm authorization, completing the TOS with the remaining container and seal data before opening the gate. In case of discrepancies, an alert is triggered, and manual intervention is required.
“Container Terminals like ACT Burgas show a growing willingness to adopt collaborative approaches involving various partners in digitalization projects, being themselves an active player, instead of spectators of turnkey implementations,” commented Adriaan Landman, COO at AllRead.
