Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

The port logistics chain is a very sensitive link in a global supply chain. It strongly conditions the performance of integrated logistics chains involving maritime transport to distribute products in the global marketplace. Meeting delivery dates and reducing the costs of port operations while considering the port productivity, are essential points in the maritime sector.
Consequently, the sound management and control of the port logistics chain constitute a strategic challenge and key factor of competitivity. The problem then arises of how to improve the planning of port operations. Thus, this thesis aims to develop decision support models to ensure an effective and efficient management of tactical and operational port operations.
First, we integrate three main decision problems related to seaside operations in ports due to the strong interrelations existing between them: the Laycan Allocation Problem (LAP), the continuous dynamic Berth Allocation Problem (BAP) and the time-invariant Quay Crane Assignment Problem (QCAP). We consider several characteristics and constraints rarely studied together, such as the multiplicity of quays, the variation of water depth, navigation channel restrictions related to tides, charter party clauses and non-working periods. Then, we extend the integrated problem to the Specific Quay Crane Assignment Problem (QCASP), which includes the assignment of a set of specific quay cranes to each vessel considering the productivity of quay cranes and their maximum outreach.
Second, we integrate the LAP and the hybrid dynamic BAP in the context of bulk ports considering the common characteristics and constraints of ports cited above, as well as specific bulk port characteristics and constraints. These are mainly the conveyor routing constraints between storage hangars and berthing positions under preventive maintenance activities and the multiplicity of cargo types on the same vessel. Since each berthing position has a fixed bulk-handling crane, QCAP decisions are not addressed in the case of bulk ports.
Third, since there is a strong interaction between production, storage, and port operations, we develop a DSS for planning these three successive echelons in a fertilizer supply chain. This planning tool encapsulates an existing production scheduling model, the berth scheduling model for bulk ports, and a new model for the Storage Space Allocation Problem. The aim is to align production and storage decisions with vessel demands, ensuring consistency in decision-making.
The efficiency of our models is shown through extensive computational experiments on generated problem instances and real case studies inspired by the operations of OCP Group, a global leader in the phosphate market and its derivatives, at the Jorf Lasfar chemical platform in Morocco, the largest fertilizer complex in the world.