The Port of Felixstowe said it had ordered another 34 autonomous trucks (ATs) after a successful deployment of the vehicles at its Trinity Terminal earlier this year.
The latest order from Shanghai Westwell Technology will work alongside conventionally driven lorries, but doubles the number of ATs in operation as Felixstowe strives to be a leader in port automation.
However, the Unite trade union said there were “unanswered questions” about the impact of the fleet on employees.
Clemence Cheng, executive director of Hutchison Ports and Port of Felixstowe chief executive, said: “We are proud to be leading the way in autonomous operations in ports.
“Doubling our fleet of ATs will deliver even greater efficiency and resilience to our operation.
“These new units will feature enhanced sensor technology, enabling even greater operational performance for our customers.
“The continued scaling up of this project has been made possible by the recent introduction of a private 5G network at the Port of Felixstowe,” he added.
“As well as improving operational consistency and efficiency, the increased use of battery-powered ATs will significantly support our ambition to achieve net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035.”
A spokesperson for Unite said: “We have raised a number of safety concerns which the employer has responded to.
“The conversation with the employer is ongoing. We intend to monitor the situation very carefully.”
The port said its 5G network was one of the largest private networks of its kind in the UK, providing fast, reliable and secure communication and control systems for the ATs, as well as for a wide range of conventional equipment.
A newly commissioned automated battery swap station allows ATs to exchange depleted power units for fully charged ones in just five to six minutes – without manual intervention.
