APM Terminals Boosts Crane Capacity at Maasvlakte II

 

APM Terminals concluded a contract with Austrian-based crane manufacturer Hans Kuenz GmbH in combination with ABB of Sweden for an additional 22 Automated Rail-Mounted Gantry Cranes (ARMGs). The order will bolster the yard operation for Phase I of the new 2.7 TEU million annual capacity, deep-water Maasvlakte II terminal which will begin operations in November 2014.

The 30-meter wide ARMGs will use a fully automated technologically advanced system to load and unload containers onto and off of external truck chassis, and onto a fleet of 37 battery-powered Lift Automated Guided Vehicles (Lift AGVs) in what will be the world’s most technologically advanced container terminal.

“Exercising this order option is part of our original planning for the Maasvlakte II facility, and will bring us the yard capability for our 2.7 million TEU/year capacity and deliver the targeted service levels for our customers” said APM Terminals Maasvlakte II Managing Director, Frank Tazelaar.

Maasvlakte II’s innovative design is based upon using ship-to-shore (STS) cranes to unload containers from vessels and place them directly on the Lift AGVs, which can carry two containers at a time, and automatically bring them from the quay to the container yard using an onboard navigation system following a transponder grid. Once the Lift AGV arrives at its programmed destination, it places the containers into a series of storage racks. The ARMG then arrives to move the container from the rack to its next designated location; the rail terminal, a waiting truck or another area of the storage yard. The first phase of the Maasvlakte II terminal calls for a fleet of 37 Lift AGVs in combination with 128 storage racks, and an overall terminal area of 86 hectares (212.5 acres).

The initial order of 26 ARMGs was placed in 2012, with the first deliveries made in March 2013. The new order will begin delivery in March 2015 and will continue through mid-2016. The terminal includes an eight-track intermodal rail terminal to directly link container traffic cargo to inland European destinations. The terminal has been designed specifically to support a modal split ratio of at least 55% of freight moved by low-carbon modalities barge and rail.

The APM Terminals Maasvlakte II project has received a European Union Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T) program grant of € 5.3 million ($7.18 million) in support of sustainable intermodal cargo transportation, including rail and barge access. TEN-T is a competitive funding program to create a transportation network across the 28 EU Member States to promote growth and competitiveness.

“Operational end-to-end flow testing of our facility has started this month and we are well on track for our terminal opening in November. The new order underlines our commitment to deliver high terminal performance for the next generation of ultra-large container ships”, said Mr. Tazelaar.