Electric straddle carriers for Italy’s MCT

The Kalmar Straddle Carrier is driven by a highly efficient diesel-electric power unit and offers excellent manoeuvrability, quiet operation and easy maintenance, said Kalmar. It complies with the latest exhaust emission regulations and can be retrofitted to enable full automation

“MCT has relied heavily on Kalmar Straddle Carrier technology right from day one of operations, so it was only natural to continue this highly successful partnership when considering the options for renewing the equipment fleet,” said Marc Desmons, equipment engineering director of Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), which owns and operates MCT.

MCT is located in the southern Italian port of Gioia Tauro, a mega-port able to handle the largest vessels deployed on the Asia-Mediterranean routes. The terminal has handled more than 50m teu since it began operations in September 1995, with an annual handling capacity of 4.2m teu. In total, Kalmar has delivered 164 straddle carriers to MCT since the terminal was opened.

Aki Heikkinen, sales director, intelligent horizontal transportation solutions at Kalmar, stated: “The new machines are joining an already large fleet of Kalmar Straddle Carriers and Mobile Equipment and will support the terminal in achieving its business objectives through maximising the productivity and efficiency of its operations.”

Delivery of all machines is scheduled to be completed by the end of the fourth quarter of 2019.