GPA unveils North America’s first ERTG
12/14/2012 - by Staff Reports
The Georgia Ports
Authority on Friday unveiled its first four electrified rubber-tired gantry
cranes (ERTG), making the GPA the first in North America to introduce
this cleaner and more efficient method of operation. The new technology reduces
fuel consumption by an estimated 95 percent.
“This transition to electrified RTGs is an important milestone for the GPA and
our industry,” said GPA Executive Director Curtis Foltz. “This project is the
latest in a series of GPA initiatives designed to increase the productivity and
capacity of the port in environmentally responsible ways.”
The new ERTG system was developed with the help of partners Konecranes,
Conductix-Wampfler and Georgia Power, which provided the cranes, the new power
system and the electrical infrastructure, respectively.
Through efforts such as electrifying ship-to-shore cranes and refrigerated
container racks, the Port of Savannah avoids the use of more than 5.4 million
gallons of diesel annually. The new cranes will further reduce the GPA’s fuel
demand.
“Georgia Power’s partnership with the Georgia Ports Authority provides a great
opportunity to further research and develop non-road electric transportation
while adding value to the port’s day-to-day business,” said Murry Weaver,
Georgia Power’s Vice President of Sales. “The ERTG system will not only offer
significant cost savings and environmental benefits, but it will also position
the GPA as a leading model for ports throughout the nation.”
While relying on cleaner, shore-based power to handle containers, the ERTGs
feature the ability to automatically switch to diesel generators when moving
from stack to stack. All functions are controlled by the ERTG crane operator.
Foltz said long-term plans call for retrofitting the Garden City Terminal’s
fleet of diesel-powered RTGs to use shore power via retractable arms which will
link to a conductor rail system, bringing the total number of ERTGs to 169 by
2022. Repowering the RTGs will be a multi-year initiative, requiring new cranes
to be ordered with electric power capabilities, and some older cranes to be
retrofitted. When complete, the ERTG fleet will allow the GPA to avoid the use
of 5.97 million gallons of diesel each year. This will result in a net savings
of nearly $10 million each year, even after the purchase of electricity is
factored in.
“We are very proud the GPA has chosen Konecranes again as its reliable partner
with the latest technologies for RTG cranes,” said Tuomas Saastamoinen,
director of sales and marketing for port cranes. “The four Konecranes ERTGs
delivered this year are operating very well, and we look forward to working
with the Georgia Ports Authority as it continues its transition to cleaner,
quieter electrified RTGs.”
GPA Director of Engineering Chris Novack said ERTGs are more reliable than
diesel-powered versions with less downtime. In addition, fewer hours of
diesel-powered operation will mean reduced maintenance costs and extended
diesel life.
Conductix-Wampfler installed the required power infrastructure. The ERTGs will
switch via an auto-engage system between diesel and the electrical grid. About
90 percent of the time, the cranes will operate on electrical power.
The RTG-mounted electrical equipment and retractable arm are compact and
lightweight – important factors for subsequent ports considering a transition
to electric power.
“This means it can be used for any ERTG, even those with little room for
additional components,” said Jerry Koetting, district sales manager at
Conductix-Wampfler. "We therefore assume that the product can set entirely
new benchmarks in the ERTG electrification market."
Custom built to a GPA design, the ERTGs are powered through 480-volt conductor
rails installed on the container yard at the rear of Container Berths 4 and 5.
They will capture power when lowering boxes -- energy which is currently lost
under diesel power. For comparison, the GPA’s electrified ship-to-shore cranes
reduce their power demand by about 35 percent by capturing energy from lowering
boxes.
Future reliance on ERTGs will drastically reduce diesel consumption at GPA,
aiding the authority’s ongoing commitment to environmentally responsible
operations.
“Georgia Ports Authority is a diligent steward of our natural resources,” said
GPA Board Chairman Robert Jepson. “Our staff and technical partners have
developed a cutting-edge tool that will help not only the GPA, but other ports
around the nation to revolutionize container handling. Our ERTG design sets the
pace for the industry, by dramatically reducing the fuel consumption, diesel
emissions and noise normally associated with older technology.”
Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a
broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries,
shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing
lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools
of all makes.
Conductix-Wampfler is the world’s leading supplier of mobile energy supply and
data transmission systems. Its core competence lies in the development,
production, consulting and installation of solutions that provide tailor-made
answers for all questions to do with energy supply and data transmission for
moving consumers.
Georgia’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than
352,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute $18.5 billion in
income, $66.9 billion in revenue and $2.5 billion in state and local taxes to
Georgia’s economy. The Port of Savannah was the second busiest U.S. container
port for the export of American goods by tonnage in FY2011. It also handled 8.7
percent of the U.S. containerized cargo volume and 12.5 percent of all U.S.
containerized exports in FY2011.
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