Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT) has entered into a contract with Konecranes Oyj for the delivery of an Automated Horizontal Transport (AHT) System to support the Euromax terminal’s transition to fully electric container handling operations, according to the company's release.
The order, booked across Q1 and Q2 2025, comprises 42 lithium‑ion battery-powered AGVs and Automated Charging Stations featuring fast-charging capabilities.
The integrated solution includes a Battery Management System that collects operational and charging data to ensure efficient and reliable performance.
Konecranes’ TEAMS ECS (Equipment Control System) will control routing and sequencing of the new AGVs with existing Ship-to-Shore cranes and Automated Stacking Cranes, while a Failure Management & Diagnostic System monitors equipment status at the component level.
According to Ralf Konnerth, Director Automated Horizontal Transport at Konecranes, “This deal underlines two decades of operational success for Konecranes Gottwald AGVs at the ECT Euromax terminal.”
The new electric fleet will operate alongside the existing diesel-powered AGVs sourced in 2005.
The project forms part of Konecranes’ Ecolifting™ initiative, aimed at increasing environmental benefits through its products and services.
Discussions between Hutchison Ports ECT and Konecranes on terminal automation date back to 2005, when they first contracted 96 diesel-electric Konecranes Gottwald AGVs. That deployment established a foundation of trust and operational success, which led to the recent lithium‑ion AGV order.
Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT) ECT operates the Euromax terminal in the Port of Rotterdam and is part of Hutchison Ports, a global terminal operator headquartered in Hong Kong. ECT has pursued automation and sustainability initiatives, including participation in the EU-funded “E-HERO” grant as part of the Connecting Europe Facility.
Konecranes is a Finland‑based crane and port automation specialist listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. With around 16,700 employees across more than 50 countries, the company reported EUR 4.2 billion in sales in 2024.