Someone had to plug the machines, unplug them and then plug them in again between moves” said APM Terminals’ Head of Design and Operations for New Terminals, Ross Clarke. As the result of industry development in this area of power supply, RTGs can now be connected and disconnected automatically from the busbar through the use of a retractable connector arm attached to the RTG. This system allows the RTG power to switch between the diesel engine and electricity from the busbar automatically and without interruption.
“The automated system for connecting the RTG to the busbar means that we can benefit from the environmental and cost benefits of electric RTG’s, with no loss of operational flexibility” said Clarke. The conversion of a terminal is completed in two steps: installation of busbars within the terminal along the container storage stacks, and fitting the connector arms to the individual RTG units. The projected maintenance and repair costs for the electrified RTGs (E-RTGs) are 30% lower than for standard diesel-powered RTGs, with additional savings of as much as 70% in fuel costs. The use of E-RTGs will reduce CO2 emissions by between 60-80% compared with conventional diesel-powered RTGs, which will result in overall terminal CO2 emissions decreasing by 20% per TEU handled. The retro-fitting of the majority of the existing 400 unit APM Terminals RTG fleet will eliminate 70,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The conversion program which will begin immediately, starting with APM Terminals’ Asia-Pacific Region facilities, will take approximately two years to complete. The E-RTG program will be used in terminal development and construction going forward, and is planned to be implemented in the design of the new APM Terminals Moin Terminal Container facility in Costa Rica scheduled to open in 2016.