Technological advances lead to fuel saving low-carbon cranes that will reduce crane related CO2-emissions of APM Terminals by 20 percent per TEU handled and drive progress on Maersk’s global commitments.

The auto industry has already done it – made cars that use two or more power sources to move. And now, APM Terminals is introducing a new technology that will allow its rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to move, load and unload containers at the terminal using diesel as well as electricity.

The refitted cranes will reduce CO2 emissions up to 80 % compared to ports with conventional diesel-powered cranes. This will not only contribute to reduce the total carbon emissions output from APM Terminals’ operations, which will be lowered by 20% per TEU handled, but also support the Group’s overall commitment to show leadership by introducing technologies that reduce its carbon footprint.

APM Terminals has already begun refitting cranes with the new technology that allows them to switch between diesel and electricity without slowing down the operations.

“We are very pleased that it is now possible for us to refit our cranes to the benefit of both the business and the environment,” says Ross Clarke, head of Design and Operations for New Terminals at APM Terminals.

“The refitted cranes will lead to energy, maintenance and cost savings, and we will be able to deliver cost-competitive services, while living up to our commitment to run a sustainable business. The electrified cranes will also provide lower noise levels –an important aspect for our employees as well as our neighbors,” he says.

No need to plug and unplug electrical cables

Until now, the technology has not been available to give APM Terminals the needed flexibility to switch from one power source to another without hampering operations.

Basically, the crane construction meant that it was impossible to switch to electricity from diesel, without someone manually plugging and unplugging the cranes into an electrical outlet between moves – a time consuming exercise that would negatively impact the number of container movements per hour.

With the new technology, this issue has now been solved through the use of an automated switch mechanism that allows the crane to switch between the diesel engine and electricity without interruption.

The conversion program has already started at APM Terminals’ Asia‐Pacific Region facilities and will take approximately two years to complete. APM Terminals operates more than 50 ports and 122 inland facilities on five continents.

Converting and retrofitting more than 400 cranes in five continents

APM Terminals has embarked on a program to convert and retrofit more than 400 Rubber‐Tired Gantry Cranes (RTGs) in use. The mobile gantry cranes are used for stacking containers in the terminals – a traditional culprit in terms of high energy consumption.

The retro‐fitting of the majority of the existing 400 unit APM Terminals RTG fleet will eliminate 70,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

Source: Cargotec

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