?This article was published in May 2010 issue of World Port Development. To receive a pdf of the article in its original format including charts and pictures please send an email to archive@worldportdevelopment.com

Port Construction projects pick up pace
The current economic climate has had a major influence on the decision of port and terminal operators to invest in infrastructure projects. Some of these projects have been postponed or indefinitely delayed but World Port Development found that the industry has turned a corner and is upbeat about the future. What recession? That was the general mood of the responses from companies to our request for information for our port construction and dredging article. Many respondents provided us with interesting information and we could have filled several pages in this issue of World Port Development. Some of these projects have been highlighted here and more will follow over the next couple of months. It shows that the industry is working hard to invest in new projects in anticipation of a recovery of the economies around the world.

Middle East
US-based PND Engineers Inc (PND) is providing planning, design, and constructionproject management for new Iraqi naval pier facilities, a seawall, and supporting infrastructure at Umm Qasr Naval Base in Iraq. PND teamed with CCI Alaska Inc and West Construction (BWCC) for this USD44 million design-build project for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Umm Qasr is located at the southern tip of Iraq on an estuary leading to the Persian Gulf. The project is of great strategic and economic importance to the government of Iraq. The new state-of-the-art pier facilities will provide berthing for Iraqi Navy patrol vessels charged with protecting Iraq’s oil platforms and securing critical port infrastructure. Construction of the facilities has also brought much-needed jobs and business to the local area. The government of Iraq is providing funding and taking the lead on the project, with the USACE providing support with contract and construction management. The new naval facilities consist of two piers: Pier 1 utilises the open cell sheet pile system; Pier 2 is a floating dock with a gangway, located just south of Pier 1. The new piers will provide operational and maintenance support for the patrol ships that were recently purchased by the government of Iraq. PND’s services included design of a fender system to protect the piers from mooring and berthing loads. The pier facilities were designed to eliminate the need for both initial and maintenance dredging. PND also coordinated the utility design for the new piers, which will provide water, electrical, and fuel services to the vessels. Pier 2 was completed in November 2009, and the dock is currently in use by the Iraqi Navy while the adjacent Pier 1 is under construction.

North America
PND Engineers Inc (PND) is the lead wharf designer for the Port of Anchorage Expansion Project, in which the existing platform docks are being replaced in five major phases with 8,000 feet of open cell sheet pile bulkhead. The bulkhead will have five follow-up construction projects that provide for dock cap, a large utilidor, fendering, bollards, and a crane support system. The Port of Anchorage is located in the upper reaches of Cook Inlet where a 40-foot tide range, the second-largest in the world, creates 3-4 tidal knot currents. The area also has a high rate of seismic activity. PND designed the cell sheet pile bulkhead to withstand substantial seismic events, including a subduction zone with energy input larger than the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake, which was magnitude 9.2, the second-largest earthquake ever recorded. PND led a rigorous geotechnical analysis program, supported by Geo Engineers, Inc. (GEI), providing a significant number of sensitivity analyses, using both classic and numerical methods to confirm results with varying input of soils, loading, phreatic and tidal water levels. The seismic loading provides for: an operating level earthquake (OLE) with a 75-year return, a contingency level earthquake (CLE) with a 500-year return, and a maximum considered earthquake (MCE) with a 2,500-year return. Two MCE functional areas are being provided at the port to maintain fueling and cargo operations soon after any large catastrophic event should occur. The port of Anchorage expansion project is being led by Integrated Concepts & Research Corp (ICRC). The expected project construction costs are USD700 million, of which PND is providing design for about USD500 million. The project will require over 10 million cubic yards of gravel and over 46,000 tonnes of sheet pile. The expansion addresses the primary development of additional dock face and uplands at the port, significantly increasing available mooring and handling capability to meet the growing demand on this central facility. The port of Anchorage is critical to Alaska, receiving 90% of the tonnage into the state, and internationally providing US military access to the Pacific for the 11th Air Force and Stryker Brigade. The expansion will add 135 acres of additional property, approximately doubling the size of the Port. PND also completed a feasibility and logistical study for a major port infrastructure development to support the Hope Bay Gold Mine project located in the Canadian Arctic. The Hope Bay gold deposits contain the largest reserves in North America. The project location, in northwestern Nunavut, is an extremely remote location with only a 6-week ice-free window to receive supplies and construction materials. As a result, shipments must be planned in advanced and transported to the site each year in coordinated sea lifts. PND provided logistical studies for fuel and mine modules to determine the amount of port infrastructure required. Currently, PND is executing the first phase of the development plan by designing major upgrades to an existing rock jetty. The existing jetty will be reinforced with PND’s patented open cell dock technology, which is particularly well-suited for the rigors of the Arctic. The first phase also includes multiple fixed moorage arrangements installed along the perimeter of the bay into bedrock on shore to accommodate the various deck barges, floating camps, supply ships, and fuel tankers that will be visiting the site. The second phase of the project will include the installation of a larger deep-water module dock and fuel tanker unloading dock. The site conditions are difficult and standard pile supported dock and closed-cell sheet pile structures have proven to be ineffective in the poor soil and frozen conditions. PND is designing the facilities to withstand heavy seasonal sea ice, with a planned design life of 20 years. Hope Bay is on the Arctic Ocean, with temperatures dropping to -30 degrees Celsius in January.

Poland
A consortium of Denmark-based Per Aarsleff, Dutch dredging contractor Boskalis International, Doraco (Poland) and Hochtief Construction (German) have been awarded a contract from the Maritime Office of Poland in Stettin for the construction of a harbour in connection with a new LNG gas terminal in Swinoujscie, Poland. The total contract value is approximately Euro170 million with Boskalis’ share amounting to approximately Euro 75 million. To allow the port to accommodate large vessels, Boskalis will create a turning basin and deepen the access channel. A total of more than 8 million cubic meters of sand will be dredged. Furthermore, Boskalis will construct a 3.3km breakwater to protect the port. The project will be executed with a combination of small to large sized trailer suction hopper dredgers, floating cranes and dry earth moving equipment. Per Aarsleff will get involved in the construction of a jetty and other port structures. Work is set to commence mid 2010 and is due to be completed by the end of 2012.

Vietnam
Dutch engineering consultancy DHV is going to improve the navigability on 250km of the Mekong River in Vietnam. Apart from the widening an
d deepening of the river, DHV is also responsible for the construction and restoration of 18 bridges and the construction of a new lock. The project is to be financed by the World Bank. The Mekong delta in Vietnam is one of the five international regions with which the Dutch Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management wants to build up an intensive relationship. The project costs amount to about Euro 100 million. The Mekong, which is almost 5,000km in length, is an important river in Southeast Asia. Its sources lie in China, from where it flows through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, where its delta discharges its waters into the South China Sea. Currently, many of the bridges spanning the river are too low, and the river is not fit for inland water transportation. “The project represents a strong boost for the economy. It will result in an important traffic artery on which large ships will be able to navigate and commerce will flourish. Our experience in the Netherlands teaches us that inland water transportation also offers a sustainable alternative to road transportation,” said Ben Reeskamp, Director of Ports and Waterways at DHV. When the project is completed, the river will be able to accommodate convoys of inland ships of up to 600 tonnes. DHV is collaborating on the project with two local subcontractors. One of these will concentrate on the bridges – two of which are a few hundred meters long. The other subcontractor will focus on the river’s dredging. “Our office in Vietnam provides an important support in the overall coordination of this mega-project”, Reeskamp added. The project will be completed early 2014.

Box story
Partrac distributes Sediview
Glasgow-based marine environmental consultancy Partrac Ltd recently announced a worldwide agency agreement for Sediview software. Sediview software v3 is a unique and powerful processing tool to generate sediment concentration estimates from Teledyne RDI 1200 and 600kHz Broadband ADCP instruments. It also incorporates a wide range of features to analyse and graphically output collected data, including current speed and direction, discharge, and processed sediment concentration. The integration into a single unit of detailed sediment and current data permits the measurement and analysis of dynamic and large-scale sediment distribution and transport processes with a high degree of confidence. Partrac have taken over the sales, technical support, training & technical development role for Sediview under the agreement with DRL Software, the UK-based company who developed and introduced the software commercially in 1979. Partrac will also undertake Sediview surveys (e.g. mapping dredge plumes) for clients with sediment management problems. “The derivation of sediment concentration from backscatter readings obtained with ADCP has been of considerable interest to oceanographers and coastal geologists for many years. When DRL Software introduced the Sediview product into the market a genuine advance was made on a practical level. Sediview now has an enviable reputation and a demonstrable track record, and there are over 100 Sediview users worldwide including the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Port of London Authority, and United States Geological Survey. We will be further developing the software with DRL Software over the next year and hope to bring an exciting range of additional features and compatibility with a range of instruments,” said Kevin Black, Technical Director at Partrac. “We’re delighted to have entered into an agreement with Partrac to increase the profile of our software and make it more readily accessible. Sediview has already proved to be a valuable tool to users in a wide variety of fields and we are confident that it will be a benefit to many more, both in its traditional form and through synergistic development with Partrac,” said Nick Bray, DRL Software Director. SeReAnt orders Damen dredger Damen, the Netherlands has received an order from Antwerp-based SeReAnt [Belgium] to design and construct a special cutter suction dredger for the Amoras project. The dredger will be a full customer special to fit exactly the intricate dredging and sludge treatment process. Design is now well underway, with the dredger due for delivery in September 2010 – exactly in time to fit in to the tight Amoras time schedule. The cutter suction dredger is fully adapted to feed the continuous process resulting in 500.000 tonnes of treated dry material every year. The dredger is fully electrically driven with required power of 1.800 kVa, 15.75 kV. It is also fitted out with a swing ladder, cleaning the underwater depot at minus 18m dredging depth and a maximum swing width of 24m. As the contamination of some silt is such that it cannot be deposited in the depot, a barge unloader is a vital element of the dredger – pumping the heavily contaminated material directly to shore by the inboard dredge pump.

Although a European-based manufacturer – its factory is located in Killarney, in the South-West of Ireland – the company’s order-book has not been restricted to the European market. Recent orders have been received from the Middle-East, South America and the Philippines, reflecting the company’s strategy of developing and expanding its global market-place. It has also invested heavily in production facilities at its factory, including investments in new buildings to house steel-cutting, shot-blasting and state-of-the-art painting facilities. Further investment is ongoing this year with the construction of a new boring and milling facility. The company operates state-of-the-art computer aided design and manufacturing systems (CAD /CAM) as well as the latest in production planning, processing software and hardware at their purpose built production line. This policy has allowed the company to reach higher production targets. Its total reference list, since it entered the container crane market, in the late 1960s, amounts to over 320 cranes.
Product range
With its ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, demand in recent years has mainly been for super-post-panamax and megamax specifications, with outreaches of 55m to 65m. The first Liebherr 80 tonnes tandem lift cranes were recently delivered to the Port of Khorfakkan in the United Arab Emirates. However, the company emphasises that it is market-driven and does not try to encourage a terminal operator or port authority to order cranes which are larger than its needs. Liebherr Container Cranes (LCC) entered the RTG market in 1998, and received its first orders in 1999. Initially, it used a DC drive system, but it subsequently introduced AC into its design. Although it offers different configurations, its standard 7+1 wide design features an 8-rope reeving system, designed to reduce sway, together with four wheels per corner. LCC’s rail-mounted gantries (RMG) also incorporate an anti-sway reeving system because the gantry has to move containers away from the STS crane whilst maintaining accuracy and keeping pace with the quayside crane’s operations. While RMGs often incur a higher start-up cost – in terms of infrastructure – LCC believes they offer greater lifetime savings, as they achieve lower running costs and greater stacking density. More recently (see April 2010 issue) the company entered the straddle carrier market with the SC440S.
Construction materials
LCC cranes are easy to identify because of the company’s use of the box lattice design for the main beam and boom, instead of the more common box girder design used by most container crane manufacturers. One point the company is keen to emphasise is its use of high-tensile ST 52 (S 355J2G3) steel throughout (except for access systems), instead of ST37 mild steel. While high-tensile steel is more expensive, LCC explains that it gives the cranes greater strength and a higher overload capability. It also has the advantage of reducing the crane’s weight, thereby reducing civil engineering costs. A 3-coat paint system, supplied by International Paints or Hempels, is used. Using the box lattice design, LCC says, enables the height of the crane’s beam to be increased, without significant extra weight being added. Another advantage is that the lattice design is subject to less wind forces – drivers of box girder cranes often complain of the crane swaying in the wind, LCC notes, resulting in lower productivity. Selection of steels used is from European suppliers, whereby steel is sourced directly from the mills with original mill certificates for full traceability which detail chemical composition and Charpy impact values which are of particular importance when selecting steel used for low temperature climates down to -40°C. Specific joints are designed using alternative variations of the S355 high tensile steel thereby matching the necessary structural characteristics with the correct steel properties. Liebherr has developed its welding procedure specification (WPS) in-line with European standards. Welding certification is carried out to DIN 18800 Class E and DIN EN 792-2. Quality welding audits are carried out to ISO9001:2008 standard while the LCC welding engineers and technicians are certified by the welding institute (SLV) in Munich, Germany. In-house weld inspection methods used are ultrasonic, magnetic particle and dye penetrant, while radiographic inspection is carried out via an independent inspection company. Weld inspection records and radiographs are maintained for the crane lifetime. The company uses only proven reputable European component suppliers, such as Flender, PIV for gearboxes, AEG/Siemens/Wolfer motors, Pintsch Bubenzer brakes and Siemens electrical components. Liebherr AC or DC drive systems are supplied on all cranes. LCC’s drive systems undergo three tests prior to commissioning: firstly, at the Liebherr drive factory in Biberach, Germany, secondly at the Killarney factory, where the drive system is connected to all the crane machinery. This 1-week process involves the connection of the drive system to all the machinery, with the drives being run to check for any problems, for example with bearings, etc. Usually, the client’s senior representative is present to witness this testing. A final check of the drive system takes place on-site. At the Killarney factory, LCC has a final testing area, where the whole crane is checked over and tested. The beams and legs are assembled on-site and tack-welded, to ensure all connections are absolutely flush. When all checks are verified and passed, the final welding of the individual components are completed and the components are then moved to shot-blasting and the paint shop before final assembly. Transport and delivery The company’s policy is to erect cranes on-site, rather than shipping them fully erect. Transporting fully erect cranes is not cheap and requires considerable bracing. The cranes can be subject to significant weathering on the voyage and the company notes that some competitor cranes have arrived at their destination with cracks. There is also the risk that any problems with the cranes have to be corrected on-site, rather than at the factory. Prior to shipment, every structural component on the crane is checked, labelled and stamped, enabling quick assembly on-site. The crane structure is usually standing within two weeks of arriving at the container terminal and operation usually commences within 8-10 weeks. LCC has two supervisors (one electrical and one mechanical) on-site, with work sub-contracted to local specialists. Philosophy LCC’s philosophy has been to continue to supply customers with high quality state-of-the-art cranes in a very aggressive market. The company refuses to follow the trend of cutting corners in manufacture and design to match unrealistic prices. A container crane is a product that should serve its’ operation reliably over its lifetime. Achieving this ideal is not realised by succumbing to “cheap” temptations. In the port industry, time is money therefore, it is important that equipment is available for work at every call. The company puts considerable emphasis on after-sales service, to minimise crane downtime and ensure maximum productivity. LCC believes this strategy has enabled it to strengthen its position in the market and ensure that terminal operators can benefit from its high level of customer service.

Sales figures for both companies in 2009 were down, not only because of the tumultuous economic climate and its effects on global cargo trade, but also because they both recorded excellent order books in 2008. In that year, with 102 machines delivered, Liebherr passed the benchmark of 100 in the mobile harbour crane market for the first time, a significant 16% rise on 2007. Gottwald sold 92 harbour cranes in financial year 2008 -2009, including mobile harbour cranes and such derivatives as portal harbour and floating cranes, just shy of its 96 sales in 2007-2008. Upon announcing these figures in early 2009, though, Dr Robert Wassmer, Gottwald Port Technology’s CEO, acknowledged that the coming years would be challenging. For its part, Liebherr describes the performance of its mobile harbour cranes division in 2009 as being “satisfactory”, delivering 74 machines, a drop of 27% of the previous year’s impressive figure. However, the company argues that this compares favourably with a 40% fall in deliveries across the market as a whole. Furthermore, it reasons that from 2005 to 2008, Liebherr’s mobile harbour cranes deliveries averaged an increase of 19% per annum, “12% over the total MHC market growth average.” It also states that, despite the devastating economic instability of recent times, in 2009 the manufacturer was able to “increase its global market share substantially, by more than 60%, and reinforced its prime position as market leader.” Gottwald Port Technology has similarly strived to deal with the effects of the crisis. “Generally, our Port Technology segment is dependent on worldwide cargo volumes and growth in container handling,” says Marketing Director Peter Klein. “Declining cargo rates on the main container routes due to falling demand continued to have a marked impact on this segment. This [has been] forcing shippers to combine cargo routes and take container vessels out of service. The resulting under-utilisation of port capacity has prompted port operators to put off capital spending projects. Besides expansion spending, replacement expenditure has also come to a near-standstill, there being little demand due to the terminals operating at low capacity.” He continues: “Over the medium and long term, however, experts still anticipate further growth in global cargo traffic and therefore continuing demand for the relevant handling equipment.” In its interim report for the second quarter of its financial year 2009/10 (October-September), Demag Cranes AG, parent company of Gottwald, notes a slight positive trend towards new contracts being awarded in the mobile harbour cranes market. The Port Technology sector of Demag Cranes AG’s business accounted for Euro 43 million in the second quarter of the financial year, up 29.8% on income of 34.1 million over the same period in 2008/09. Comparing the overall first half of 2008/09 against the same period in 2009/10, the difference is just a slight rise of 0.2%, up from 74.6 million to 74.8 million. Demag Cranes AG’s order book for the financial year to date stood at Euro 290.5 million on 31 March 2010, down 32.5% on the Euro 430.3 million tally recorded on 31 March 2009. Within this figure, Port Technology business dropped 29.7%, from Euro 86.1 million to Euro 60.5 million. The report notes, however, that most of the revenue generated within the Port Technology sector came from mobile harbour cranes. “The second quarter of 2009/10 brought encouraging first signs of stabilisation in contract awards in the Port Technology segment,” it reads. “In particular, the demand for mobile harbour cranes picked up in the period under review. Some terminal operators consider that cargo volumes have reached the end of their decline and are bottoming out. It remains to be seen how enduring the upward trend will prove to be: for now, with terminals currently still under-utilised, idle handling capacity will be brought back into operation before there is any investment spending on replacement/expansion.”
Regional results
Looking at deliveries from a regional perspective, in 2009 Liebherr noted that European demand was particularly down, by 31%, compared to 2008 – with a notable downturn in Spain, usually the top-selling market. Deliveries to Russia, however, were quite some way above average, with the 17 machines delivered making it by far the strongest MHC market for Liebherr in 2009. In total, though, Liebherr received 35 mobile harbour crane orders from European customers during the year, meaning that Europe remained its largest market, with other regions catching up. India, for example, was one of the key markets for Liebherr, with the company selling nine units and further strengthening its position on the Indian subcontinent; since entering this market region in 2004, the company has delivered more than 40 mobile harbour cranes to India. In Africa, deliveries continued to develop positively, with the manufacturer stating that it accounted for 73% of the region’s MHC market through the supply of 19 machines. The fleet of African cranes is mainly used for container handling to cope with the constantly rising containerisation of goods on the continent. Following two years of burgeoning order books, deliveries to customers in the Middle East dropped quite dramatically, with just two Liebherr machines supplied across the year, although this included the company’s first delivery to Saudi Arabia since 2003. In total, two units were sold across both the Far East and Pacific regions, while deliveries to South America suffered a severe setback. With five units delivered, orders from the region were significantly reduced, particularly in Brazil – although, to quote Liebherr: “Brazilian ports are known for pulling the brake with any sign of uncertainty, waiting for circumstances to get clearer, but signs show now that the market is moving again.” Deliveries to North America didn’t alter greatly, coming in just under the five-year average with two units. When responding to World Port Development’s questionnaire at the end of April, Liebherr reported 12 harbour crane orders to date for 2010, to customers in Algeria (three LHM 120 models), Chile (two LFS 500 models), France (one LHM 180), India (two LPS 600 models), New Caledonia (one LHM 400), Papua New Guinea (one LHM 320), and the USA (two LHM 280 models). Based purely on official, public announcements, at the time of going to press, Gottwald had sold between 9 and 11 mobile harbour cranes in its financial year to date. The most recent of these sales was of two HMK 260 four-rope grab mobile harbour cranes, one each to two separate customers in Brazil. These Generation 4 machines will be used for handling different bulk materials. In April Gottwald received an order from the Norwegian NorSea Group for one new G HMK 4406, a Model 4 mobile harbour crane, which will be used in the Finnish Port of Hanko for handling pipeline sections for the new Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. A month earlier, the manufacturer revealed that it had recently received an order from Integra Port Services NV (IPS) for its operations within the public terminal in the river port of Paramaribo, Suriname. This Generation 4 crane will be the third of this type to be delivered to IPS. Two HMK 260 E cranes, one new and one used, already operate at the Port of Paramaribo, handling containers and general cargo; the first of these was commissioned in May 2009. The company has also strengthened its position in the Middle East, receiving its second order for a Generation 5 crane in February from Beirut Container Terminal Consortium (BCTC), Lebanon (the first began operations at BCTC in December 2009). In addition to this, Gottwald announced that Qatar Petroleum had ordered a third G HMK 6407 Generation 5, Model 6 crane. Also towards the beginning of 2010, GPT received an order from Irish Continental Group for a new G HMK 6407, a variant of Model 6, complete with spreader, which has been delivered to the Port of Belfast, Northern Ireland. In November last year, the company received a
n order from Grenland Havn for a new for a new G HMK 4406, a variant of Model 4 – the first of this type to be sold in Norway. The least recent order for possible inclusion came from India, at the outset of October and the company’s financial year. This was for two G HSK 8332 B portal harbour cranes, variants of Model 8 and derived from mobile harbour cranes, for Adani Petronet. This represented a significant breakthrough into the Indian market for GPT. HYBRID THEORY Both Liebherr and Gottwald have exciting new technological developments lined up for their mobile harbour crane portfolios. When asked what has been the single most important innovation made in MHC design over the past five years, Klein responds: “It’s really a challenge to answer this question. Firstly, there is Gottwald’s Generation 5 [series], which is based on a pioneering modular design principle which fully meets individual customer requirements, in line with Gottwald’s philosophy of ‘You Name it, We Crane it’, and which includes the largest mobile harbour cranes ever built.” For a primary example of this sheer size, he cites the Model 8 crane, with a capacity of 200 tonnes at an outreach of 20 meters, resulting in a load moment of 4,000 metric tonnes. Offering intensive, fast container handling, including twinlift operation alongside vessels up to Super Post-Panamax size, the Model 8 also provides handling rates of up to 1,800 tonnes per hour in heavy-duty bulk handling, Klein details, depending on terminal and operating conditions: “Accompanied by extraordinary working speeds, with Generation 5, Gottwald as a supplier of harbour cranes was able to cater to new and more demanding applications.” He adds: “Secondly, Gottwald has adapted its successfully introduced mobile harbour crane design to portal and floating cranes like no other supplier in the marketplace. For example, we can offer turnkey floating crane solutions including crane, crane pedestal, crane maritime classification, barge design package and barge. The most recent development, which is in line with the green port requirements outlined by many operators and therefore meets an increasing need for both economical and environmentally compatible machines, is the new Gottwald hybrid drive.” Indeed, the manufacturer officially announced the introduction of this new hybrid drive in March. Using state-of-the-art diesel generators in connection with dynamic brake resistors and short-term energy storage, this latest Gottwald technology is designed to achieve fuel savings “in the double-digit percentage range”; a claim backed up by a pilot project carried out with one of its Model 6 cranes. The hybrid drive is part of the manufacturer’s ‘Green Range’ initiative to develop environmentally friendly and cost-effective technologies with “a view to making the sustainable management of maritime and intermodal terminals a reality.” The new drive system is an extension of Gottwald’s existing diesel-electric technology. It has been possible for some time now on machines that use electric drive technology, to return the energy recovered from the machine’s deceleration motions to the crane’s internal power system. However, if this energy is not required by the system at the time, the excess energy is dissipated in the brake resistors – in other words, converted to heat. Where, in the past, Gottwald details, these resistors could only be switched in relatively large steps, today it is possible to make use of dynamic brake resistors to improve the machine’s energy rating considerably. Gottwald has developed the new hybrid drive in response to demands for further improvements in efficiency, incorporating the aforementioned short-term energy storage capability, retaining the recovered energy and making it available to the crane’s power system for the next work cycle. The conventional brake resistors only come into play if the capacity of the energy storage system is exceeded. Gottwald states that the development of storage systems is particularly relevant to mobile harbour crane operations because they involve rapid load changes and irregular hoisting, lowering and slewing actions, including the associated acceleration and deceleration actions. Storage systems that can store and return energy quickly and allow high cycle rates in rough day-to-day crane operations are, the manufacturer reasons, necessary to optimise such operations and ultimately reduce energy costs. To develop the new drive system, Gottwald has performed tests on mechanical, electrochemical and electrostatic short-term storage systems. The hybrid system’s key requirements are met by what the manufacturer has snappily dubbed ‘ultracaps’ – friction-free double-layer capacitators with typical charge and maximum discharge times of 30 seconds in this kind of operation and with a service life of one million cycles. A key advantage of the system is that the energy is stored as electricity and is not converted at all, further enhancing efficiency. To prove the benefits of the new hybrid drive system in practical application, it has been put into work in the aforementioned pilot project on a G HMK 6407 mobile harbour crane, a variant of Model 6. This crane – which has a maximum lifting capacity of 100 tonnes, hoisting speeds of up to 90 meters per minute, and an installed diesel engine power of 895 kilowatts – has been put into operation at a maritime terminal, handling empty and full containers and fruit pallets for approximately 4,000 hours per year. The test phase began immediately after the installation of ultracaps and the machine’s upgrade to dynamic brake resistors. Along with the aforementioned double-digit percentage fuel savings, Gottwald states that this pilot project demonstrated the hybrid drive system’s quieter running characteristics and reduced noise emissions. Gottwald will also be offering the dynamic brake resistors and hybrid drives as an upgrade option for existing MHC owners. Gottwald believes that the new drive technology will be of particular interest to operators of MHCs with workloads and cargo handling profiles comparable to the aforementioned prototype, and for harbour crane applications such as intensive container handling. Furthermore, the manufacturer states that the new drive system is ideally suited to professional bulk handling, where cranes are configured as four-rope grab machines, equipped with two hoists and frequently working 6,000 hours a year. In the medium term, Gottwald plans to take advantage of the latest drive technology to downsize its onboard diesel engines to further enhance economical and ecological savings. “With its new hybrid drives, Gottwald has taken a further step towards improving the electric drive system used on mobile harbour cranes,” the company concludes, “electricity being the most energy-efficient source and, as a result, the one most commonly found in terminals.”
Liebherr also has an exciting, impressive technological development ready to announce; unfortunately, details are under embargo prior to its unveiling at TOC Europe in Valencia, Spain, on 8-10 June. A full update on this will feature in the next issue of World Port Development, which we will be distributing at the event. We can, however, report on Liebherr’s general response to our questionnaire regarding technological developments. Over the next year, the company states that it will increase its efforts to provide tailor-made mobile harbour cranes such as barge or portal solutions. The manufacturer delivered six rail-mounted LPS portal cranes in 2009. All LPS cranes are equipped with an electric prime mover, which makes it possible to run the crane on electricity from an external source at the port. Liebherr’s simple hydrostatic drive system remains as-standard on its MHC models, allowing the same components to be used throughout its entire range, from LHM 120 (lifting capacity 42 tonnes; radius 30 meters) to LHM 600 (lifting capacity 208 tonnes; radius 58 meters), to ensure high spare parts availability and a single system for engineering support. The company a
lso points to the hydrostatic systems’ low ‘moment of inertia’, providing “extremely fast acceleration times”. With this drive, Liebherr mobile harbour cranes attain a hoist speed of 120 meters per minute in less than three seconds, the manufacturer states. It adds that hydrostatic units work as one synchronous system, not just adding to general robustness, but also meaning energy is easily recaptured from the crane’s braking and lowering motions. The company adds that the hydrostatic system also avoids the power loss that you get through switching to other energy modes, such as the loss encountered in the banks of electrical resistors. The standard prime power of the hydrostatic drive system is a diesel engine, meaning the cranes are able to work with complete autonomy; however, all LHM models can also be equipped with an electric main drive. If the port has a quayside installation for shore power supply available, the crane can be operated directly with power from the harbour mains. Liebherr has again increased its spending on research and development as the company concentrates on creating new, ecologically sensitive technologies. The manufacturer states that it is involved in a number of projects focused on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. ExcitingTimes Reacting to both operator demands and environmental regulations regarding emissions, Gottwald Port Technology and Liebherr have demonstrated admirable application to provide cost-effective, green and customer-focused solutions to the mobile harbour crane market. A mobile harbour crane is a large investment for any port or terminal operator, and as both manufacturers fight to gain optimum orders and continue to impressively navigate through a remarkable period of economic downturn, they are doing so by introducing some of the most exciting technological developments in the market for many years. So impressive are these developments, in fact, you could almost be forgiven for being genuinely surprised.

 Following the final acceptance test, customers can be sure they have a comprehensive solution, including an acceptance test report if required. Alongside the complete on-site installation, igus offers to guarantee the system for a long period of maintenance-free operation, to agreed technical specifications. What are the benefits of the igus-installed service? Let experts do the job During system assembly or on-site installation, many complex technical details have to be considered and planned for, which is why more and more customers are handing over the whole energy chain system project to igus. For example, the cables must be assembled without tension, or twisting. Also, certain cable or hose types should not be routed next to one another because the different jacket materials might damage one another. “It’s much easier to take all this into account during assembly on a large purpose built work bench with all the tools and assembly aids available, than it is on site,” explains Michael Blass, Energy Chains Systems Manager at igus. Technical know-how The situation is similar for energy chain guide trough assemblies: The guide trough has to be assembled straight over the whole distance, which can be over several hundred meters. “The joints between the parts of the channel must be made precisely , and any lateral tolerances of the moving system must also be taken into consideration.” In this case, a so-called “floating towing arm” can be used to ensure correct operation. In another example, vertically suspended energy chains (for example on a storage and retrieval unit) may have lateral accelerations which must be absorbed. These could otherwise pull the energy chain out of its guide trough during acceleration or deceleration. Pre-assembly and installation Many customers purchase a variey of individual components and assemble these themselves. This can be very involved: assembly of the energy chains themselves, inserting the cables, crimping and fitting connectors. All of these activities are no easy task at height or outdoors in any weather! In such situations, igus offers the “ReadyChain” pre-assembly service, and tests each complete package thoroughly. The assembly can then be rolled onto a drum from which it can simply be unrolled on site, like an adhesive tape dispenser. Complete system responsibility There are two options as part of the “igus installed” service. Igus installation engineers can supervise the installation of the pre-assembled “ReadyChain” system or the customer can pass the complete responsibility to the igus installation team. “One of our customers recently reported that he used to have two or three employees working two to three weeks on an installation job. We can do the same job for him in two to three days, thanks to the experience of our engineers and the pre-assembly work done at the igus factory,” said Blass. The company now offers this installation service for all tasks – not just large-scale projects – whether for ten machine tools or where a single existing energy supply solution needs upgrading or replacing. The service includes professional, fault-free assembly to prevent further downtime, and fast implementation to keep production loss to a minimum. Also, logistics expenditure and complication will be reduced for the customer. A system guarantee and final acceptance report for the complete system can also be provided.