The Finnish port equipment manufacturer Konecranes has received an order from the Port of San Diego, to provide its Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT) with two eco-efficient, generation six, Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour cranes.
The order was booked in January 2022, with the cranes anticipated to be in operation by the middle of 2023 in the Californian terminal, replacing the diesel-powered crane currently in use, and helping the US port reach its clean air goals.
The final cost for the cranes will be approximately US$14 million, funds for which are budgeted in the Port’s Economic Recovery Program, according to the Californian port.
San Diego Port’s omni-cargo terminal TAMT needs this new harbour equipment to handle an expected increase in containers and heavy project cargo while producing no local exhaust emissions.
This happens as the cranes dispose of battery packs, instead of onboard engines, allowing extensive travelling time when unplugged from the harbour mains that increase efficiency when the cranes are connected to them.
Short-term load handling is also possible with the battery drive in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected power loss. The battery takes its charge from the mains but also collects energy from braking and lowering movements for later use, according to the crane manufacturing company.
“Konecranes has provided us with a unique solution that uses proven battery technology in a new way. Not only do these cranes have the power to lift the heaviest loads, but they are also all-electric, emitting no tailpipe emissions at all with much less noise,” said Chairman Dan Malcolm, Port of San Diego Board of port commissioners, who went on to add that this gives the Californian port a competitive advantage in the region as it is working towards the goal of zero emissions by 2030.
The two new all-electric cranes have a working radius of up to 59 metres and a lifting capacity of 200 tonnes each, but they can be used together, doubling capacity to 400 tonnes, while a smart feature named Tandem Lift Assistant helps synchronise the cranes during dual lifting, controlled by just one operator. This is expected to improve the performance and safety of the cranes, according to Konecranes.
