The Port of Felixstowe (Felixstowe), operated by Hutchison Ports, has ordered 17 Automated Rubber-Tired Gantry Cranes (ARTGs) from Konecranes. The order was booked for Q4 2021. The ARTGs will be delivered and commissioned in a project covering 3 phases starting in Q2 2023. Completion and go-live are scheduled for Q4 2025. The new ARTGs will be fully electric, powered by busbars, and delivered as carbon neutral.
This order marks the first Konecranes ARTGs to be delivered to the United Kingdom, and the first Konecranes ARTGs ordered by Hutchison Ports. To date, it is the largest order of Konecranes ARTGs for a single terminal or project.
The project consists of three phases. The first phase will start in the second quarter of 2023 with the delivery of 6 ARTGs. The remaining ARTGs will be delivered in two batches. By the fourth quarter of 2025, all 17 ARTGs will be handed over. Electrified and automated container movements will help to make Felixstowe’s large container throughput more efficient. They are also part of a major decarbonization investment by Felixstowe, which plays a key role in the British economy and international trade. Felixstowe’s eight existing ARTGs will be integrated with the new Konecranes ARTGs and Remote Operating Stations as part of a single automated system.
The fully electric ARTGs will give a big boost to productivity and decarbonization efforts at Felixstowe, the busiest container port in Britain. Konecranes ARTG technology, introduced in 2013, has been successfully implemented around the world. This case also brings our integration expertise to the fore. “Konecranes will integrate Felixstowe’s existing ARTGs with the Konecranes ARTGs in a harmonized automation platform,” says Darryn Scheepers, Sales Manager EMEA, Port Solutions, Konecranes.
The automation harmonization will be accomplished by integrating the existing ARTGs with the Konecranes Remote Operating Stations (ROSs) and the Konecranes Crane Task Management System. A Konecranes Crane Adapter Module will adapt the controls to the Konecranes ROS and give the work orders to the existing cranes. A single operator at a Konecranes ROS will be able to remotely handle up to five ARTGs simultaneously across the yard. The Konecranes’ “street bogie” solution will enable fully automated gantry travel, using proven safety technologies for obstacle detection. Konecranes TRUCONNECT® remote monitoring is included, providing remote crane diagnostics.
Hutchison Ports has a network of 48 container ports around the world, including the Port of Felixstowe, on the east coast of England. With many shipping routes to Europe and beyond, it’s the busiest container port in Britain, handling more than 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per year.
This project with Felixstowe is an excellent example of Konecranes’ path to port automation, where container terminals improve productivity and safety in manageable steps. From smart features up to full automation, the path can include supervised operation and remote operation to smoothly introduce the power of automation.
A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.
