a power boost with 29 EDRIVE ESC straddle carriers
Kalmar Industries has received one of the largest orders to date for its EDRIVE ESC straddle carrier with a request for 29 units from MSC Home Terminal in Antwerp. All 29 machines have a three-high stacking ability, while 15 of the EDRIVE units are equipped with Kalmar extendable twinlift spreaders, which have a 50-ton capacity.
The 29 machines destined for operation at the major Belgian port are due for delivery late this year and early next. The Kalmar EDRIVE straddle carriers have proven their success in terms of environmental considerations, with low noise emission, low fuel consumption, low maintenance and repair costs and the use of less hydraulic oil.
A Kalmar CSC350 straddle carrier with extendable twinlift spreader operating at Hesse-Noord Natie's Schelde Terminal
The significance of the twinlift spreader is its ability to mirror the handling efficiency of terminal ship-to-shore cranes. A ship-to-shore crane can lower two full 20ft containers 1.5m apart from each other on the quayside with its extendable twinlift spreader before swinging back to the ship to collect more cargo. However, the traditional straddle carrier twinlift spreader can only pick up one of these boxes at a time.
The breakthrough was finally achieved when Kalmar and Bromma developed an extendable full twinlift spreader, designed especially for straddle carriers and equipped with a 50-ton capacity. Kalmar commissioned the world first straddle carrier with extendable twinlift to Hesse-Noord Natie in the end of 2002.
Only in October last year did Belgium Hesse-Noord Natie order nine Kalmar EDRIVE ESC straddle carriers for operation in its River Schelde terminals, complementing the nearly 50 Kalmar straddles already active at its various quays. Four units in this order were oredwith extendable twinlift spreaders, equipped with a 50-ton capacity.
Building on the higher productivity Kalmar new technology brought to Belgium terminal, MSC Home Terminal order of the EDRIVE units in a large number, indicate that the machines with the electrical drive system are gaining market share.
Other significant deliveries of the ESC straddle carriers include seven units for Office d'Exploitation des Ports (ODEP), Morocco, which already operates a large fleet of standard Kalmar straddles. Nine ESCs were also delivered to Terminal de Contenidors de Barcelona (TCB) last year. The Spanish port was originally using a large fleet of straddle carriers and acquired one ESC model for testing. The efficiency and performance of the Kalmar machine quickly convinced TCB drivers to vote for more EDRIVE ESCs, which combine the positive features of a diesel-electric drive with the well-proven robust construction and reliability of Kalmar established CSC straddle.
With a lower centre of gravity, the Kalmar straddles offer more stability than their competitors. They also boast more engine power, 20% higher lifting speed, faster driving speed and better acceleration than competitors’ models, resulting in a 10% higher overall performance rate. However, instead of using two diesel engines providing for horizontal movement via a conventional gearbox and chain-drive system, the wheels of the Kalmar EDRIVE are driven by two 132kW electric motors, one mounted in each side frame. For hoisting though, the Smoothlift hydraulic rope hoist system is retained.
MSC Home Terminal, Antwerp is a joint venture between Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Hesse-Noord Natie NV. Hesse-Noord Natie was acquired by PSA Corporation Ltd in 2002 and handled 4.3m TEU in that year. The PSA group has terminal locations in 10 countries around the world, including Belgium, Brunei, China, India, Italy, Japan, korea, Portugal, Singapore and Thailand and handled 28.7 million TEU in 2003. Hesse-Noord Natie partner in Home Terminal Antwerp, MSC, is one of the biggest global container shipping lines. Founded in 1970 and based in Geneva, MSC operates a fleet of more than 200 vessels with a total capacity of over 500,000 TEU.
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The caption for the photograph reads:
“A Kalmar CSC350 straddle carrier with extendable twinlift spreader operating at Hesse-Noord Natie's Schelde Terminal.
Kalmar is a global provider of heavy-duty materials handling equipment and services to ports, intermodal traffic, terminals and demanding industrial customers. Kalmar focuses on supplying handling solutions that enable customers to operate with a high level of efficiency and reliability. Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine. Kalmar provides a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management. Manufacturing plants are situated in Sweden (as is the head office), in Finland, the Netherlands, Estonia, Malaysia, China and the USA.
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