D-Wave and SavantX Expand Quantum Port Optimization Trials in California

The Port of Los Angeles—long regarded as a bellwether for global trade health—has become ground zero for a transformative logistics initiative. On March 24, 2023, D-Wave Systems Inc., a leader in quantum annealing, and SavantX, an AI company focused on intelligent logistics, announced the expansion of their quantum optimization trials at Pier 300, the port’s most active terminal.

The pilot, first launched in 2022, uses D-Wave’s Hybrid Solver Service (HSS) to optimize key operational logistics at the terminal: container placement, crane utilization, and vessel scheduling. The March 2023 update introduces deeper integration of real-time data feeds and expands the volume of shipments and scenarios being simulated.

Ports, particularly container terminals, are notorious for logistical complexity. At Pier 300, more than 2 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) pass through annually. The efficiency of container movement—from unloading to stacking, and onto outbound trucks—depends on dozens of simultaneous variables, including berth and crane availability, cargo priority levels, space optimization in yards, and labor shifts and equipment readiness.

"We’re using D-Wave’s quantum systems to dig into a very hard logistics problem: minimizing crane idle time while maintaining throughput," said Ed Heinbockel, CEO of SavantX. "Every minute shaved off container handling translates to significant economic and emissions benefits."

Unlike gate-based quantum computers, D-Wave’s approach—quantum annealing—is particularly suited to optimization problems with many constraints. The firm’s Advantage Quantum Computer can explore millions of configurations simultaneously, seeking the lowest-cost solutions to complex problems.

In this use case, SavantX maps cargo logistics into a Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) model. The quantum system identifies optimal sequences for container movement, yard layout, and crane task assignments.

A key March update involved enhancing this hybrid solver with dynamic yard mapping, meaning the system now ingests live GPS and RFID data from shipping containers and trucks.

Since deployment, SavantX and D-Wave have reported notable operational improvements: a 12–15% reduction in crane idle time, faster vessel turnaround improving port throughput metrics, lower truck wait times reducing emissions from idling, and improved yard space utilization leading to smoother scheduling.

"The computational complexity of port logistics is staggering. Classical models take hours to simulate what our hybrid system can resolve in minutes," said Murray Thom, VP of Quantum Business Innovation at D-Wave.

The March expansion included increasing modeled scenarios from 10,000 to 1 million permutations per batch, integrating weather, tide, and labor union data for more accurate planning, and extending simulations to handle vessel conflicts, predictive maintenance, and rerouting.

Looking ahead, the team plans to include truck gate flow optimization for in-out traffic, energy grid coordination for electrified cranes, and intermodal rail yard simulation connected to the port’s inland infrastructure.

The pilot’s success has sparked interest from other U.S. ports including Long Beach, Oakland, and Savannah.

While the Port of Los Angeles leads this initiative, the potential is global: Singapore’s Port Authority is exploring quantum-assisted yard management for its Tuas mega port; Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port, has launched AI plus quantum trials for vessel routing; and Dubai’s DP World is assessing supply chain synchronization platforms with embedded quantum backends.

SavantX and D-Wave are in early discussions with port authorities in Latin America and Southeast Asia to scale their Pier 300 model internationally.

Despite its promise, quantum logistics still faces hurdles such as noise and coherence limits requiring robust post-processing, real-time IoT data needing preprocessing into QUBO formats, terminal operator and union adaptation to quantum-driven dispatching, and cybersecurity considerations including post-quantum encryption.

However, both companies remain bullish. D-Wave plans to release an improved quantum annealer with higher connectivity in Q4 2023, potentially doubling the problem size they can tackle.

As ports worldwide seek to become smarter, greener, and faster, quantum computing offers a unique edge. The Pier 300 initiative demonstrates that quantum optimization isn’t just theoretical—it’s shaving minutes off container moves today.

If scaled, such innovations could unlock billions in efficiency gains and emissions savings across the $9 trillion global logistics industry.

The 2023 expansion by D-Wave and SavantX may one day be remembered as the moment when quantum finally docked at the world’s ports.