This study takes the container yard with twin automated yard cranes as the research object.A multi-agent-based simulation model of yard operation is established to study the efficiency and energy consumption of yard with relay mode.The model simulates the complex operation process of twin yard cranes under the uncertainty of arrival time of automatic guided vehicles and external trucks，and realizes the quantitative calculation of power and energy consumption of yard machinery.Through the quantitative analysis of the indexes of efficiency and energy consumption，the influence of the handshake area location on the yard efficiency and machinery energy consumption for different working conditions is explored.The results show that the yard operation simulation model can effectively simulate the operation process and interaction behavior of yard equipment，and obtain the index values of efficiency and energy consumption for different working conditions.In addition，the handshake area location corresponding to the maximum efficiency and minimum energy consumption are different，and the handshake area should be reasonably designed according to the specific working conditions to achieve the dual goals of efficiency and energy consumption.