Ship‐berth link simulation: impact on total demurrage costs

The ship‐berth link is one of the most critical aspects to be managed at port operations. Up to now, simulation models have considered the impact of queue priorities, such as size and type of ships, on waiting times. This paper differentiates from previous studies by considering another variable – the demurrage cost for each type of ship – and the possibility of having different berth allocation policies. It reports on a simulation study carried out on a small Brazilian private container terminal, where different berth allocation policies and queue priorities have been tested. Results indicate that the demurrage cost ratio between large and small ships and the critical waiting time in queue, after which demurrage costs are charged, impact on the choice of most adequate combination of policies and priorities. The analysis presented in this paper may help port authorities in determining a more precise figure for total demurrage costs.