CONTAINER HANDLING CONTAINER HANDLING

CARGO HANDLING EQUIPMENT HOW TO REDUCE AIR EMISSIONS

Peter Söderberg, Vice President R&D, Kalmar Mobile Equipment; Ari Hirvonen, Product Manager, Intelligent Horizontal Transportation Solutions; Heikki Salonen, Product Manager, Intelligent Crane Solutions, Kalmar

This paper addresses common causes New developments such as handling equipment such as reachstackers, of airborne emissions in container ports. electrification, hybrid technology, energy it is reasonable to expect that diesel power Container terminals utilise a wide variety of regeneration, and process automation will eventually be replaced by other power container handling equipment. This can be have significant potential to reduce or sources. divided into horizontal transportation such as even completely eliminate on-site air A major contributor to mobile equipment straddle and shuttle carriers, terminal emissions caused by container handling electrification has been the transition from and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs); yard equipment, but the choice of a horizontal traditional lead batteries to batteries using cranes including Automated Stacking Cranes transportation system itself has a major rapidly progressing Lithium-ion (Li-ion) ASC) and Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTG); Ship- impact on emissions. A terminal concept technology. Manufacturers are also looking To-Shore (STS) cranes; mobile equipment based on terminal tractors will necessitate into fuel cell power for mobile equipment, including reachstackers, empty container a relatively large fleet, as each container but this technology will likely take several handlers and forklift trucks, as well as road needs to be placed on top of the vehicle, years to mature. vehicles operating at the terminal. while horizontal transportation with For yard cranes, RTG electrification offers The potential for emissions reduction straddle or shuttle carriers requires fewer the most immediate way of reducing fuel differs substantially between these to handle the equivalent number consumption at the terminal and significantly equipment types. Vessels and road trucks of containers. decreasing emissions on-site. Noise emissions are the most significant sources of air are also of significance particularly for pollution at container ports, but this text ELECTRIFICATION MARKET terminals located in densely populated primarily addresses container handling In mobile equipment operating at container urban areas. Adopting hybrid and all-electric equipment, including STS and yard cranes, terminals, electricity-powered solutions technology for horizontal transportation horizontal transportation as well as mobile have been scarce. With full electrification systems and/or RTGs can significantly reduce equipment. gradually making its way to heavier container the noise footprint of the terminal.

74 EDITION 75: AUTUMN 2017 WWW.PORTTECHNOLOGY.ORG CONTAINER HANDLING CONTAINER HANDLING

Diesel Electric RTG (5,000 hours per year)

Annual CO reduction Annual CO reduction Consumption l/h CO kg/hour CO kg/year 2 2 2 2 in a 5 RTG fleet in a 20 RTG fleet

13 litres/hour 34.8 173,940 869,700 3,478,800 15 litres/hour 40.1 200,700 1,003,500 4,014,000 17 litres/hour 45.5 227,460 1,137,300 4,549,200 19 litres/hour 50.8 254,220 1,271,100 5,084,400 21 litres/hour 56.2 280,980 1,404,900 5,619,600 23 litres/hour 61.5 307,740 1,538,700 6,154,800

Electric RTGs produce zero CO2, NOX and PM emissions at the point of use 9 Emission factor used for calculations is 2.676 kgCO2e/l

Potential CO2 emission reduction of RTG electrification

SHIP AND ROAD EMISSIONS diesel-electric as a competitive choice is the at the quayside. Resultantly, a terminal studies show that typically the most low price of fuel worldwide, compared to concept based on terminal tractors will significant source of airborne emissions at the cost of the advanced battery technology require a relatively large fleet, as each container terminals in developed countries required for hybrids. container needs to be placed on top of the is the container ship itself. Tightened IMO In the latest hybrid straddle carriers, vehicle. When horizontal transportation can regulations on nitrogen oxide and sulphur a regenerative energy system converts be handled by straddle or shuttle carriers, oxide emissions, along with increased electrical braking and spreader lowering the containers can be placed on the ground requirements for the use of shore power, energy into electric power that is stored in and fewer machines are required to handle have considerably reduced vessel emissions a battery. This system can save 10–15% in the equivalent number of containers. at many ports. total energy consumption and emissions Converting to fully electric opportunity A wider discussion of vessel emissions per vehicle per year. charging based shuttle or straddle carriers, is outside the scope of this paper, except Hybrid machines typically operate on such as the Kalmar FastCharge, will to note that faster ship turnaround times battery power with their switched eliminate direct emissions from horizontal enabled by optimised terminal processes off up to 30% of the time. This translates transport completely. will also indirectly contribute to reduced to commensurate reductions in emissions emissions. and fuel consumption. The most efficient TECHNOLOGY OPERATION hybrid straddle carriers on the market Electric drive is fundamentally different ROAD VEHICLE EMISSIONS consume up to 40% less fuel than diesel- from diesel-powered driveline technology, Road vehicles are another major source of powered models, and emit on average over offering several compelling long-term

emissions at the landside areas of container 50 tonnes less CO2 per year. benefits for manufacturers and equipment terminals. However, since these vehicles users alike. Electric power in mobile are not under the ownership or control equipment is a relatively new development, of the terminal, there is little possibility ELECTRIC HORIZONTAL TRANSPORT but electric drives are a highly mature and for terminals to influence their emissions Horizontal transportation equipment commoditised technology. At the same directly. In countries with less strict remains one of the most significant sources time, due to continuously tightening regulations on truck fuels, a significant share of emissions at terminals. Despite the emissions regulations, OEMs must devote of port emissions is typically generated by increasing adoption of hybrid technology significant resources to re-engineer their trucks and locomotives. and electrification, most straddle and equipment to meet each new emissions The most advanced process automation shuttle carriers, terminal tractors and AGVs target, without a commensurate increase solutions utilise radio frequency are still powered by diesel engines. in value that can be directly translated as identification technologies, which enable Fully electric equipment decreases a benefit into their own customer offering. the terminal to track trucks in real time. noise levels and enables zero emissions at Transitioning to a zero-emissions electric the point of use. The latest generation of drive will enable longer and more stable horizontal transport equipment includes product lifecycles, which ultimately benefits HYBRID SYSTEMS AND ENERGY fully electric straddle and shuttle carriers, manufacturer and customer alike. REGENERATION as well as fast charge technology that Likewise, for the end users at terminals, Approximately 80% of straddle carriers enables charging at idle times during the the total lifecycle costs of electric-powered currently deployed worldwide are diesel- equipment work cycle. machines are radically lower than for electric machines, and many terminals in The choice of horizontal transportation diesel-powered equipment, as a result countries with less advanced emissions system itself has a major impact on of the completely different maintenance regulations continue to operate traditional emissions. Maintaining maximum paradigm. These benefits hold even all-diesel machines. However, hybrid productivity for the STS cranes is the single when considering the need to replace the systems account for a significant portion of most critical factor for ensuring optimum battery packs during the expected 10–15- new units sold, and are rapidly becoming performance for the entire terminal, so year lifespan of the equipment. The main the default choice for new terminals. At the the horizontal transportation fleet needs reason for improved lifecycle costs with time of writing, the only factor still keeping sufficient capacity to avoid bottlenecks fully electric equipment is the simplified

EDITION 75: AUTUMN 2017 75 CONTAINER HANDLING CONTAINER HANDLING

drive installation in trucks due to fewer stringent environmental regulations to reach zero on-site emissions. Examples wearing parts as well as less consumables as well as a highly competitive global include the Port of Los Angeles, which such as and lubrication oils. Savings business landscape, port operators will has been working with a zero emissions are further increased once new equipment need to focus on reducing emissions from roadmap for several years; the APM generations are designed for electric drive their operations. Maasvlakte II Terminal in the Netherlands, sfrom the very beginning. Currently, the demand for low- which aims to reach 100% sustainably Manufacturers are still re- emissions and electric technology for sourced energy usage in the future; diesel-powered equipment to use container handling varies widely between and the Eurogate Container Terminal in electrical drives, which means that some geographies and industries. For example, Hamburg, which aims to cover 25-50% of design compromises are inevitable due in the US, port customers generally require the terminal’s total energy requirement to structural constraints that cannot be on-highway engines with lower emissions from its own production. By operating altered. for their terminal tractors. On the other its own wind turbine, the company hand, terminals in nearly all regions outside hopes to lower energy costs over the INTELLIGENT CONTROL Europe, the US and Canada still run primarily medium to long term and become largely The environmental impacts of mobile diesel engines which comply with the US independent of price developments in equipment can also be reduced by Government Environmental Protection the power and energy markets. downsizing diesel-powered engines Agency's Tier 3 standard in their trucks Further developments may include, and developing more intelligent control mainly due to fuel quality requirements. for example, increased adoption of systems in the equipment. For example, For the immediate future, widespread wind turbines at container ports, where the drive train system of Kalmar K-Motion electrification of terminal transport will aesthetic considerations are typically reachstacker combines hydrostatic likely be limited to developed markets due not as relevant as in other areas. In the and hydro-mechanical transmission to the extensive new infrastructure that future, large STS and ASC cranes could technologies, leading to increased is needed to build and support electric provide natural mounting places for productivity, reduced fuel consumption vehicles. wind turbines and solar panel arrays that and lowered emissions. Based on the Several container ports around the could be used to power the terminal. As customer field reports, Kalmar K-Motion world have already unveiled roadmaps the technology matures, wave or tidal can contribute to reductions of as much that bring together all aspects of emission power may also prove a natural match for as 40% in fuel consumption and exhaust reduction or even eventually enable them container ports. emissions.

LI-ION BATTERIES ARE KEY A major contributor to mobile equipment ABOUT THE AUTHORS for the development of Kalmar's offering electrification has been the transition in Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC) and from traditional lead batteries to rapidly Peter Söderberg is Vice President R&D, Kalmar currently in Rubber-tyred Gantry (RTG), and progressing Li-ion technology. Mobile Equipment. Peter is responsible for Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes. Heikki has over 25 Until recently, lead batteries have Product Portfolio Development at Kalmar years of experience in product development, not been able store enough energy to Mobile Equipment Division including engineering and product management in run heavy machines in tough driving Reachstackers, ForkLift Trucks and Terminal industry. conditions. The advance of Li-ion Tractors. Peter has over 30 years of wide technology is making it increasingly experience from the field of Engineering, ABOUT THE ORGANISATION feasible to electrify machines beyond the R&D, Strategy and Business Development. He lightest categories of forklifts and other has held various research and development Kalmar, part of Cargotec, offers the widest mobile equipment. For example, light leadership positions and has an extensive range of handling solutions and forklifts with 5 to 9 tons lifting capacity experience from related industries such as services to ports, terminals, distribution are already routinely electric-powered. the Volvo Group (Trucks, Excavators and centres and to . Kalmar The development of battery technology Articulated Haulers) and BAE Systems (Bofors is the industry forerunner in terminal has recently enabled the electrification and Hägglunds). automation and in energy efficient of medium forklifts 9 to 18 tons. In the container handling, with one in four coming years, this development will Ari Hirvonen works as Product Manager for container movements around the globe extend to the heavier product ranges Intelligent Horizontal Transportation Solutions being handled by a Kalmar solution. with lifting capacities of over 18 tons. at Kalmar Automation and Projects Division Through its extensive product portfolio, Concurrently with this development, managing Kalmar straddle and shuttle carrier global service network and ability to fast-charge technology holds great portfolio. During his career of 23 years at enable a seamless integration of different potential and has already been Kalmar he has held various positions in terminal processes, Kalmar improves the successfully deployed in heavier product development, engineering, sales efficiency of every move. machines such as straddle carriers as and during the past six years in product well as in various applications outside management. ENQUIRIES container terminals, including buses and on-road trucks. Heikki Salonen works as Product Manager, Kalmar Manufacturers are also looking into Intelligent Crane Solutions at Kalmar Porkkalankatu 5, fuel cell power for mobile equipment, Automation and Projects Division. Heikki Helsinki, Finland but this technology will likely take several has been working for Kalmar since 2006. Email: kalmar.communications@ years to mature. During the past five years, he has worked kalmarglobal.com with product management, first responsible E-EQUIPMENT MARKET As container ports face increasingly

76 EDITION 75: AUTUMN 2017 WWW.PORTTECHNOLOGY.ORG