The Port of San Diego has ordered two eco-efficient Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes for their Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal (TAMT) in Southern California, USA to help reach their ambitious clean air goals. With the order booked in January 2022, the cranes are anticipated to be in operation in mid-2023.

In operation for 60 years, the Port of San Diego protects and manages San Diego Bay and 34 miles of its beautiful, natural waterfront. The Port provides services that carefully take into account clean air, pollution prevention, and energy efficiency under its Maritime Clean Air Strategy, a policy document that aims to balance community health improvements through cleaner air while also supporting efficient and modern maritime businesses and jobs. An important hub for regional trade, the Port of San Diego hosts two cargo terminals. One of these, omni-cargo terminal TAMT, needs new harbor equipment with the capacity to handle an expected increase in heavy project cargo and containers while producing no local exhaust emissions.

Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes
Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes

“Konecranes has provided us with a unique solution that uses proven battery technology in a new way. Not only do these cranes have the power to lift the heaviest loads, they are also all-electric, emitting no tailpipe emissions at all with much less noise. This gives us a competitive advantage in the region and it’s great news for our customers, community and the environment as we work towards our goal of zero emissions by 2030,” says Chairman Dan Malcolm, Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners.

These Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes are equipped with an external power supply. Thanks to their electrical design concept, efficiency increases when they’re connected to the harbor mains. Instead of onboard diesel engines, the cranes are equipped with battery packs. They allow extensive traveling time when unplugged from the harbor mains. In addition, short-term load handling is possible with the battery drive in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected power loss. The battery takes its charge from the mains but also collects energy from braking and lowering movements for later use. A similar battery-driven crane has been successfully tested in Sweden; this is proven technology.

“Konecranes has been working closely with the Port of San Diego for over 20 years, and we’re delighted that the first all-electric Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor cranes in the Americas will make history as the right solution for the Port’s current needs. Our profound knowledge and long experience from years of working with electrically-powered harbor equipment will ensure that these new cranes deliver high performance, productivity and the ultimate in eco-efficiency for many years to come,” says Andreas Moeller, Senior Sales Manager, Port Solutions, Region Americas for Konecranes.

The two new all-electric cranes at the Port will be Konecranes Gottwald ESP.9 Mobile Harbor Cranes, each with a working radius of up to 59 m and a lifting capacity of 200 t. The cranes can be used together, doubling capacity to 400 t thanks to the innovative Tandem Lift Assistant, a Smart Feature which helps synchronize the cranes during dual lifting controlled by just one operator, making the most of the full capacity of both cranes. This will improve the performance and safety of the cranes when moving heavy project cargo in the Port of San Diego.

This contract is part of Ecolifting™, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with our product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less.

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.