HADES: A Multi-Agent Platform to Reduce Congestion Anchoring Based on Temporal Coordination of Vessel Arrivals—Application to the Multi-Client Liquid Bulk Terminal in the Port of Cartagena (Spain)

A six-hour window of flexibility in vessel arrival times can cut congestion anchoring at multi-client liquid bulk terminals by half, with 24 hours reducing it to near-zero levels. This key insight comes from a mixed-integer linear program analysis applied to the Port of Cartagena’s liquid-bulk terminal, demonstrating how temporal coordination among vessels—facilitated by the HADES multi-agent platform—can optimize berth allocation and alleviate congestion without costly infrastructure changes. By enabling shared but limited information exchange among stakeholders, HADES promotes consensus-based scheduling that enhances operational efficiency in high-demand port environments.

Jiménez, P., Gómez-Fuster, J. M., & Pavón-Mariño, P. (2021). HADES: A Multi-Agent Platform to Reduce Congestion Anchoring Based on Temporal Coordination of Vessel Arrivals—Application to the Multi-Client Liquid Bulk Terminal in the Port of Cartagena (Spain). Applied Sciences, 11(7), 3109. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073109