Optimization and Simulation on Tanker Vessels Scheduling for Efficient Terminal Operations

Deqing Zhai, Xiuju Fu, Haiyan Xu, Xiaofeng Yin, Jayaraman Vasundhara, Wanbing Zhang, Rick Siow Mong Goh

Abstract: Tanker shipping is a very important operation in maritime to transport liquid cargoes across the world. Optimizing tanker ship operations to improve operation efficiency and reduce extra waiting time in ports is a pivotal task. In this study, four optimizer algorithms are proposed and examined for scheduling tanker vessels optimally under three simulated scenarios. The optimization takes a quantified Key Performance Indicator (KPI), which is an indicator regarding to utilization of terminal, as our prime reference. The optimization and simulation results show that Max Timing First Optimizer (MaxTFO) outperforms the other three optimizers in the scenarios. The MaxTFO enhances terminal efficiency by 5.27% at most compared to Timing Sequential Optimizer (TSO), and Monte Carlo Optimizer (MCO) is more applicable and robust for limited and narrow window of future vessel and cargo information. The proposed optimizers could be further developed to handle more practical scenarios, such as multiple-cargo and multiple-terminal visits for coordinative optimization across multiple terminals in a port.