The Port of Rotterdam has revealed a new pilot blockchain-based project to make container handling safer and more effective by eliminating the requirement to utilize a pin code.

In a statement, the Port of Rotterdam said it would launch an application named the Secure Container Release, which states it is “significantly less susceptible to fraud” then the recent widely utilized PIN-based method of verification.

The three-month pilot project will involve some of the biggest stakeholders in the maritime industry, including Ocean Network Express, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, MSC, and Hutchison Ports. As the biggest and most bustling port in Europe, Rotterdam handles 14.5 million TEU every year. Consolidating these containers in the port is a complex process, during which shipping companies, freight forwarders, transport firms, and terminals require to work jointly together to assure the swift and safe release of this freight.

Emile Hoogsteden, Director of Commerce of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said in a statement, “By taking advantage of new technologies, we can make our port operations smarter, swifter, more efficient and safer. The current pilot project is a good example. During this project, the different participants will be using a blockchain application that enables them to safely and efficiently organize the release procedure followed by the various parties in the chain.”

The recent pilot project will be trialing how best to enhance the safety of the container release process throughout the chain, from the shipping company to the end-user. During the pilot project, the pick-up rights for the import of containers will be transformed from a PIN code into a digital token with the aid of a blockchain-based application, a process the Port of Rotterdam compares to passing the baton in a relay race.

Blockchain technology prevents this authorization from being stolen or copied along the way. This, the Port of Rotterdam states makes the release process safer for everyone in the chain, which is involved in the process.