DP World London Gateway and lifting equipment company Kalmar have marked the successful service introduction of an electrically-powered Kalmar FastCharge shuttle carrier as part of a joint pilot venture set to run for around six to 12 months.
According to Kalmar parent company Cargotec, an existing hybrid shuttle carrier at the port was converted into the fully-electric carrier type, with Juho Leskinen, principal engineer for electrical research and development at the company, claiming that the product “will be charged with a very-high power of 600 kW, in a matter of minutes”.
The technical FastCharge solution at DP World London Gateway also includes a FastCharge station with the charging pantograph at the waterside, Mr Leskinen explained.
“FastCharge changed the industry in terms of giving our customers the ability to adopt more environmentally-conscious technology, while improving overall efficiency,” he said.
Solution explained
According to Cargotec, FastCharge is based on the same opportunity-charging technology in electric buses, and charging occurs during a shuttle carrier’s idle time in its working cycle. Onboard charging is supplemented by regenerative systems storing energy created by braking and spreader-lowering operations.
The charging system is made up of a charging station linked to a local power grid, a charging pole and a charging contact, with the shuttle carrier’s lithium-ion batteries charged through the contact on a machine pillar.
The DC fast-charging sequence is fully automated and typically lasts 30 to 180 seconds, and to start the process, a driver engages a parking brake, Cargotec said.
DP World London Gateway’s charging system is next to the shuttle’s natural working route, in a maintenance aisle between two automated shuttle carrier blocks.
Optimistic outlook
Commenting on the pilot project, Ahsan Agha, port engineering head at DP World London Gateway, said: “Operating sustainably and minimising its impact on the environment is extremely important to DP World globally and to us here at London Gateway.
“This is why electrification as a concept, and the Kalmar FastCharge shuttle solution in particular, makes sense for us.”
Mr Agha also claimed that the project “has the potential to significantly reduce the port's carbon footprint”.
“The FastCharge shuttle solution demonstrates that it is possible to improve the eco-efficiency of terminal operations without compromising on performance, and it reflects our shared commitment to realising a sustainable future for the terminal industry,” said Mikko Mononen, intelligent horizontal transportation vice president at Kalmar.
