A total of 14 hybrid Rubber-Tyred Gantries (RTGs) are for use at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, with an additional 12 hybrid RTG units selected for the Bayport Container Terminal.
The US Gulf Port of Houston has placed an order for 26 new hybrid RTGs from Konecranes as part of preparing for larger vessels and to keep pace with growth in demand.
These new RTGs, from Konecranes, have a lifting capacity of 50 tons while stacking containers up to 1-over-5 high across six container rows as well as providing coverage of the truck lane. Key design features include Li-ion battery technology and a battery management system that monitors the charge level and overall health of the batteries, although the hybrid power system is retrofittable and also comes with eco-efficient Tier 4f diesel engines that charge the batteries, as needed.
Each unit is configured with the Active Load Control system, which eliminates container sway, plus includes Auto-steering, Stack Collision Prevention and Truck Lift Prevention smart features.
Konecranes has confirmed the ability to monitor the status of the equipment via its TRUCONNECT remote link.
According to the National Retail Federation’s Global Port Tracker, volume imports to the end of July 2022 at Houston were up by 21 per cent. The August 2022 total box volume of 382,842TEU represents a 20 per cent increase over August 2021 and comprises the port’s best ever month. Year-to-date volumes of 2.6 million TEU are 17 per cent up on 2021, which itself was a record. The ever-increasing demand is seeing dwell times increasing though.
