Data and decarbonisation imperatives
Growing demand for green technology, fuel efficiency and data driven solutions are powering the reach stacker market.
SECTOR ANALYSIS: ALTERNATIVE POWER AND NEW DIGITAL SOLUTIONS
As terminals strive to decarbonise their cargo handling equipment, manufacturers are meeting these demands with electric, hybrid and biofuel powered options. There is also an emerging market for hydrogen fuel power. Last year Spain’s Port of Valencia welcomed a hydrogen fuel cell powered reach stacker developed by Hyster. Over the next decade, APM Terminals estimates it will need to buy or retrofit over 2650 pieces of electric heavy port equipment, including 500 electric reach stackers as part of its US$60 million electrification pilot to speed up the decarbonisation of terminal equipment. The global terminal operator says that a key challenge is the availability of “competitively priced” heavy-duty equipment such as reach stackers. It says: “Research and development in this area has been slow off the mark and for ports around the world looking to make eye-watering investments in new electric equipment, numerous questions remain unanswered.” Elsewhere, US-headquartered Transparency Market Research’s Reach Stacker Market report, released in October 2023, highlights the development of data solutions. “Reach stackers are increasingly equipped with advanced digital systems and telematics for real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making,” it says. There has also been a growth within autonomous reach stackers, including advanced sensors and AI. The study says that as the variety of cargo types expands, there has been increased emphasis on specialised reach stackers that cater to unique handling requirements, such as oversized loads. Such themes are highlighted in the below company by company review of recent and planned innovations.
SUSTAINABILITY, EFFICIENCY AND REAL-TIME MONITORING UPTAKE
Camblift: Sweden-headquartered Camblift launched its first product in 2022 – a reach stacker that is available with an electric or diesel driveline. It has a reach depth of three to four rows, a lifting capacity of 46,000kg and a stacking height of five to six containers high. Carl-Olof Eckerbom, CEO, Camblift says that the reach stacker enables a “high output in a sustainable and reliable way”.
CVS FERRARI: The Italy headquartered company scooped an Italian Terminal and Logistic (ITALA) for its reach stacker Energy Saving package. The awards ceremony was held by crane and aerial lift exhibition GIS 2023 at Piacenza Expo, Italy, in October 2023. CVS FERRARI won the ITALA 2023 Green Award because its hardware and software solution package eliminates fuel wastage and excess consumption, boosting fuel efficiency by up to 25 per cent without any reduction or limitation of the reach stacker torque and power. Recent uptake of its Energy Saving package can be seen by Salerno Container Terminal in Italy, which in August 2023 took delivery of three CVS FERRARI E-series reach stackers, fitted with the Energy Saving package. CVS FERRARI was founded in 1974 and manufactures heavy capacity lift trucks and reach stackers for container handling and industrial applications.
Hyster: Hyster has embraced a strategic initiative which will see Hyster RS45 ReachStackers provided from production locations in both Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and Fuyang, China from this year. The US headquartered company explains: “This dual source supply chain helps meet the needs of the global market, enabling customers to benefit from time efficient delivery for economically viable trucks”. Hyster RS45 ReachStackers feature Stage IIIA compliant engines, which Hyster says makes them well suited to non-regulated markets, such as those in the Middle East and Africa. Elsewhere, In October 2023, the iTerminals 4.0 Project, in which Hyster is a participant, won Best Innovation Project at the Waterborne Awards. The iTerminals 4.0 project includes pilot programmes where digital technologies are deployed in real operations at European ports. Hyster is currently involved in two pilots around preventative maintenance for port equipment such as reach stackers, one which is focused on smart tyre pressure monitoring, and the other on dynamic oil monitoring. The iTerminals 4.0 project has led to the creation of TIC 4.0 (Terminal Industry Committee), of which Hyster is co-founder. See also p32 & 33 for Hyster’s hydrogen fuel cell powered reach stacker.
Kalmar: Finland’s Kalmar, part of Cargotec, has introduced a range of new sustainability options for its eco-efficient electric reach stacker. Launched last year, Kalmar customers now have the option of having their electric reach stacker constructed with 47 per cent SSAB Zero™ steel, which is made from recycled steel and produced using fossil-free electricity and biogas. Customers can now replace standard oil with PANOLIN biodegradable hydraulic oil and extend the tyre lifetime through eco driver training and a tyre pressure monitoring system. Kalmar is also introducing a new emission-reducing counterweight made from unprocessed naturally heavy material to replace the standard cast-iron counterweight. It has extended the market reach of its electric reach stacker, which was launched in 2021. In December it announced that it was beginning production of this model at its Shanghai manufacturing plant. Alf-Gunnar Karlgren, VP, Counter Balanced, Kalmar explains that this is an “important step” as Kalmar is “electrifying and expanding our global delivery capability.” And in January this year, Kalmar announced that it had received a large order from Norwegian logistics service provider Wallenius Wilhelmsen to supply equipment including two electric reach stackers for the company’s US logistics network, which includes eight terminals. This represents the first sale of its electric reach stacker to a customer in the USA. Another milestone is the handing over of its first all-electric reach stacker to long-term partner Cabooter Group following a six-month testing period, in May last year. The reach stacker is continuing operations at Cabooter Group’s Greenport Venlo intermodal terminal in the Netherlands.
Konecranes: Konecranes has launched a reach stacker to handle heavier empty containers. Last year the Finland headquartered company introduced its SMV 128 TC6 reach stacker for semi-laden and empty containers that can handle up to 12 tonnes. In addition, a new, stronger combi spreader, for the handling of laden ISO containers and trailers, is now available for Konecranes reach stackers designed for intermodal operations. These lift trucks combine a long wheelbase for maneuverability and can now add one additional metric tonne to their lifting capacity on each row. Konecranes notes: “The ability to handle bigger loads adds strength and flexibility to daily operations, raising productivity by moving more in less time.” Intermodal reach stackers are available with Ecolifting options to lower carbon emissions. Flow Drive reduces CO2, fuel consumption and costs by up to 25 per cent using a hydromechanical variable transmission and what the company describes as a “unique” engine compartment design. All new generation Konecranes reach stackers can also be run on HVO100, a 100 per cent renewable and fossil-free chemical copy of regular diesel that can reduce fossil-based carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent. New intermodal reach stackers are fitted with TRUCONNECT® Basic hardware, allowing users to monitor their fleet in near real-time and get insights on the asset conditions, operational efficiency (including emissions) and productivity.
Sany: China headquartered Sany, which also operates in Europe as Sany Europe, introduced its electrically driven port machinery, including reach stackers, in Europe last year. This port equipment has previously been available in China and other Asian countries and has been adapted to European standards and operator habits. SANY offers a hybrid reach stacker, with its two drive types (combustion engine and simple hydro-pneumatic drive) contributing to a 20 per cent reduction in emissions. Furthermore, all SANY mobile port machinery that is equipped with a Stage V engine can run on biofuels in addition to conventional fuels. Recent uptake: As part of its US$60 million electrification pilot project to speed up port equipment decarbonisation, APM Terminals recently signed an agreement with SANY for a long-term collaboration on the further development of electric port equipment. This includes two electric reach stackers.
Terminalift LLC: US based Sigma Powertrain has entered into a client supplier partnership to supply its EMAX Transmissions into Terminalift’s reach stackers. Sigma describes its EMAX multi-ratio gearbox as a “power dense, high torque, rugged solution for the demanding duty cycle of reach stacker vehicles”. “Sigma Powertrain is pleased to play a role in electrifying port vehicles with Terminalift. We are a natural fit. These reach stackers have incredible loads up to 300,000 lbs, and the EMAX is a perfect fit for these extreme operating conditions,” says John Kimes, Founder and CEO, Sigma Powertrain, at the time of announcing the agreement, in June 2022. Sigma Powertrain develops electric powertrain technology for commercial trucks. It says its clutch technology for electric commercial vehicles, enables faster shift times and improved efficiency. The fully electric MID and EMAX powertrains provide solutions for Class 1-6 and Class 6-8 commercial vehicles and use a common chassis configuration with central drive, with a powertrain no bigger than a traditional transmission. California-based Terminalift LLC is a cargo handling equipment company which offers fully electric heavy-duty equipment and e-mobility and hydrogen conversion kits.