This strengthens the company’s position as one of the leading suppliers in this product segment. “Our machines have established themselves in the market with their reliability and performance,” says Guido Luini, Managing Director of TPS in Würzburg. “They are also well-known for their modern diesel-electric drive concept, which provides economical operation with low pollutant and noise emissions. We have already delivered about 900 straddle carriers and sprinter carriers with this drive system all over the world.”

The Belgian terminal operator PSA Antwerp NV (PSA) has just ordered eleven Terex NSC 634 E straddle carriers. From March 2014, these units will supplement the existing fleet in PSA’s various terminals in the Port of Antwerp. PSA Antwerp NV is part of the PSA International Group, a leading global port operator. The new vehicles will be fitted with custom equipment, including swivelling driver seats for improved ergonomics and other technical modifications to help PSA reduce maintenance costs and to provide secure operation.

Another order for four Terex NSC 634 E and three Terex NSC 644 E straddle carriers comes from Antwerp as well. From December this year, these units will be going to the terminal operator MSC Home Terminal, a joint venture of PSA and Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), the world’s second largest shipping line. These vehicles will also be customised with complete hardware and software for seamless integration into the existing operational infrastructure. This includes camera systems for exact positioning under the ship-to-shore cranes and interface modules for wireless operating data acquisition and remote servicing.

Comprehensive fleet expansion in South Africa

In the last few months, Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), a division of the state-owned South African logistics group Transnet SOC Ltd., placed follow-up orders for a total of twenty-two Terex NSC 644 E straddle carriers. TPT operates terminals in seven South African ports, including Durban, where 28 straddle carriers from TPS have been operated since 2012. Within the framework of an enlargement of the port, the existing fleet in Durban is being expanded with 18 new machines, 13 of which were delivered recently, with the rest following in April 2014. The order package was completed by four more machines for the container terminal in Capetown for delivery in February 2014.

Win-win situation for equipment supplier and operators

TPS has had successful customer relations with the three operators mentioned for many years which, in addition to the supply of straddle carriers, also include maintenance and support services. “That is a win-win situation for both sides,” says Luini. “Terminal operators profit from state-of-the-art technology which supports efficient cargo handling and, in this way, meets the desire of their customers for improved economy. Another advantage is the environmental friendliness of the drive units, which help our customers to meet the continually stricter requirements for emission control in ports. On the other side, we are constantly learning from the operators of our machines, so we can work continuously on their further development and adapt them to the markets of the future.”

The N4 platform enables Modern Terminals to generate significant value for its customers through improved operations and productivity.

DCB is one of the most recent container terminals built in Shenzhen to handle the largest carriers at the highest productivity and efficiency levels. Due to the successful partnership between the DCB and Navis implementation teams, future implementations at other Modern Terminals’ sites will have a proven template to achieve go-live success. Modern Terminals’ larger, second site in Hong Kong is scheduled to go-live with N4 in mid-2014.

“The dedication of the project team, which consisted of members from MTL Hong Kong, DCB, Navis and Accenture, was unparalleled,” said Benjamin Lai, Managing Director, DCB. “Collectively we were able to utilize essential implementation best practices in order to ensure the terminal was prepared for a successful go-live. The implementation would not have been executed as smoothly if not for the extensive system testing and training, and change management exercises our terminal underwent. With this project complete, we are confident that Modern Terminals’ Hong Kong N4 go-live will also be a resounding success.”

N4 offers a trusted platform for Modern Terminals due to its flexibility, extensibility and proven success in the marketplace. The implementation of N4 enables Modern Terminals to automate and standardize operational processes, including equipment and yard operations, to ensure the best customer service offering that is aligned with the company’s brand promises. In addition to the Navis TOS, the project also included the integration and upgrade of other existing systems that support the gate, customs clearance, billing and customer portal.

“For Modern Terminals to choose Navis instead of continuing with our own TOS IT platform – which has shaped our world class reputation and delivery over the last 40 years – is a testament to the confidence we have in N4,” said Anders Dommestrup, COO, Modern Terminals. “We are confident that the implementation of the Navis TOS in Da Chan Bay and then Hong Kong over the next 6 months will be seamless. We’ll be able to enhance our operational processes with the most advanced technology available, ultimately improving overall performance to port calls in Hong Kong.”

“Whenever Navis is approached to replace a legacy TOS, we know that the stakes for success are extremely high,” said Bill Walsh, president and CEO, Navis. “Modern Terminals recognized the need to address market changes by using a more advanced technology platform like N4. We look forward to helping Modern Terminals deliver the reliability and efficiency their customers are demanding, and further position its network of terminals as key players in Asia, and the ocean shipping industry as a whole.”

N4 is Navis’ latest generation TOS, allowing customers the flexibility and scalability needed to run their operations – from a single terminal to multiple terminals spanning numerous geographic locations managed from one central location.

The RTGs will play a significant role in boosting capacity at the port, which is planning to increase container throughput from 210,000 to 450,000 TEU annually. The Sjursoya Container Terminal in Sydhavna (south harbour) has been designed specifically to operate around RTG, straddle and shuttle carrier systems. The Port of Oslo already uses Kalmar equipment and in 2002 took delivery of the world’s first zero emission RTGs with cable reel supply at their Ormsund Container Terminal.

The all-electric, 50 tonnse capacity cranes will be the most advanced in the world. The cranes will be the first to benefit from the automated positioning functionality, realised within the Terminal Logistic System software platform already applied for Kalmar automated stacking cranes (ASC), Kalmar AutoStradsTM and AutoShuttlesTM. The driver can monitor the crane’s automated movements by on-board cameras. The automation allows the drivers to optimise productivity as they can fully concentrate on picking and placing of containers only.

The automated positioning will be supported by a number of Kalmar SmartPort process automation solutions. To eliminate the risk of knocking down containers from the stack to the truck lane, the cranes will be provided with a container stack profiling system. The RTGs will also feature a complete data transmission system between the control room and the cranes, allowing the terminal to provide an optimum maintenance regime for the equipment, and transfer of any other operational data for future purposes. Productivity and efficiency are further improved through Kalmar SmartStack, which reports the container moves to the terminal operating system (TOS) without any actions from the driver, automatically keeping track of the inventory.

The MHC, manufactured by Gottwald of Germany, is a key equipment in the loading and offloading of containers that also provides much needed capacity for project cargo up to 100 tons.  It is one of two that have been delivered to Hijo International Port, an ICTSI subsidiary in Davao del Norte.  ICTSI decided to send one to Tacloban to speed up port operations, in particular the delivery of relief supplies.  With the MHC, ICTSI has deployed equipment worth over US$5 million to Tacloban.  The MHC was delivered on board the MV Gloria, a vessel from Hamburg shipping firm, SAL-Heavylift GmbH, which had an all-Filipino crew.  SAL generously provided the passage from Davao to Tacloban free of charge.  Stinis of Holland also donated two spreaders that would be used by the MHC.  Despite the difficulty and risk of transporting the MHC from Davao to Tacloban because of the shallow drafts along the route and of Tacloban port itself, engineers from ICTSI, Gottwald and SAL worked round the clock to find solutions that would enable to give MV Gloria safe passage to Tacloban.  Photo shows the MHC’s first lift, a forty foot container, at the Tacloban port.  This is the first time in the port’s history that a proper container crane is in place.