Kalmar hybrid straddle carrier sets new standard for fuel consumption and emissions at MSC Home Terminal in Antwerp, Belgium
The hybrid straddle carrier supplied by Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has shown to set the industry benchmark for fuel consumption and emissions in operation at MSC Home Terminal in Antwerp, Belgium. The new-generation machines were launched to the market in October 2013, the company said in its press release.
Kalmar delivered seven new straddle carriers to MSC Home Terminal in early 2014, including one new-generation hybrid machine. In March, Kalmar received an additional order for six ESC 350 straddle carriers. These machines will be delivered later this year.
MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp, Belgium, owned 50/50 by PSA and TIL, is the most important European hub for MSC. The container terminal has a capacity of 5.4 million TEU and is managed by 24 ship-to-shore (STS) cranes and 127 straddle carriers. The fleet currently includes 21 Kalmar STS cranes and 56 Kalmar straddle carriers.
Randy Verresen, Technical Manager at MSC Home Terminal: "Kalmar puts a constant focus on the innovation on their straddle carriers. We opted for the new Kalmar hybrid straddle carrier to gain savings in fuel consumption, to decrease carbon dioxide emissions and to improve usability and driver experience."
During one month of operation, MSC Home Terminal has reached a 37% decrease in fuel consumption with the new Kalmar hybrid straddle compared to a conventional diesel-electric machine. The results show an average fuel consumption level of 12.3 litres per hour. This reduces the carbon dioxide emission by 97 tonnes per year compared to a traditional machine. "What's more, the new machine has clearly proven to offer a more ergonomic work environment for our drivers as well as being quiet and smooth to operate," Randy Verresen notes.
Dr Tero Kokko, Vice President, Horizontal Transportation at Kalmar: "The Kalmar hybrid straddle carrier's regenerative energy system converts electrical braking and spreader lowering energy into electric power that is stored by the state-of-the-art battery technology. An automated start-stop system chooses the optimal balance between engine and battery power. The new system can deliver a remarkable 40% decrease in fuel consumption compared to existing machines in the market while meeting the most stringent engine emission regulations worldwide. This not only adds up to significant cost savings for the terminal, but also improves the sustainability of operations."
The Kalmar hybrid straddle carrier is equipped with a new active stability control system and ensures smooth and safe driving by continuously monitoring speed, turn radius and the spreader's position, slowing the vehicle automatically when needed. The redesigned cabin features improvements in ergonomics and safety, such as electrically operating rotatable chair and excellent visibility with less night time reflections.