A homegrown container terminal operation system (n-TOS) is put into operation in the Chuangshan port area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port. [Photo/WeChat: nbfb0574] 

A homegrown container terminal operation system (n-TOS) has been running smoothly in the Chuangshan port area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port for the past two weeks at a daily maximum capacity of 33,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

The system marks the end of the country's long-term reliance on foreign-developed systems designed for large container terminals with a container throughput of 10 million per year.

Official data show Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 27.535 million containers in 2019, ranking second in China and third worldwide. 

Its Chuanshan port area is the world's second largest container terminal, with a container throughput that has exceeded 10 million three years in a row.

In the past, the port, like most large container terminals in China, adopted the container terminal operating system produced by foreign companies. In addition to the high annual operational and maintenance costs, the company also had to pay for personalized functions.

Additionally, the foreign system is maintained remotely, so the port production will be seriously affected once the system shuts down. As a result, replacing it with a domestically developed one is advantageous. 

With the support of many departments, upgrades were completed on the n-TOS system and it was put into use on May 26.

The n-TOS system is a container terminal operating system independently developed in China with full intellectual property rights. It was launched in 2010 and has been upgraded to version 3.0. 

The system has accumulated nearly 7,000 users, supporting the operation of more than 25 million TEUs, which has saved over 100 million yuan ($14.49 million) in system outsourcing and maintenance costs.