865 E Throughput grows to over 100,000 tons annually

in News
TagsEngineering, engineering and equipment, Equipment, Sennebogen

Nov 11

Unloading ships in 6 hours and reducing energy consumption

British construction company FM Conway has opted for a sustainable and efficient material handling solution at its asphalt plant in Erith, using the electrically powered SENNEBOGEN 865 E crawler-driven material handler. The innovative plant benefits from the machine’s higher handling capacity and energy efficiency, and it has been specially configured for use on the 150-meter-long footbridge along the Thames.

FM Conway, a long-established British construction company founded in 1961, is known for its numerous road construction projects in the Greater London area. To ensure an independent supply of asphalt, FM Conway built a modern asphalt plant in Erith on the Thames. The site is supplied by barges via its own unloading jetty. The highly fluctuating water levels of the Thames and the delicate, elevated unloading jetty present the operator with significant challenges in material handling.

Tidal range and delicate unloading jetty

The conditions at the Erith site are demanding: a tidal range of up to 7 meters with significant elevation changes during material handling, and a delicate unloading platform on stilts that allows for only minimal ground pressure . The SENNEBOGEN 865 E meets these challenges with customized adaptations:

25-meter range: for reliable loading between ship and unloading funnel on the shore, even at low tide.
Crawler undercarriage: reduces ground pressure and ensures mobility on the 150-meter-long unloading platform.
Motor cable reel: reliable energy supply with full mobility
Cabin height adjustment: for optimal visibility into the ship’s hull and unloading funnel
Camera system: precise and safe control during the unloading process

Sustainable solution replaces proven technology

The 865 E replaces a comparable SENNEBOGEN machine in port handling that had been in reliable operation for over 13 years. With its 250 kW electric motor, powered via a cable reel, it ensures low-emission and quiet operation. Thanks to the Green Hybrid system, energy savings of up to 30% are achieved , significantly reducing operating costs . FM Conway received support for the new acquisition from SENNEBOGEN’s service and sales partner, the Molson Group. “We had a comparable SENNEBOGEN machine in operation very successfully for almost 13 years. When the time came for a replacement, we worked together with the Molson team to find the optimal electric solution,” explains Mark Whelehan, Head of Major Projects at FM Conway.

Optimal equipment

With a reach of up to 25 meters and a 3 m³ clamshell bucket, the SENNEBOGEN 865 E efficiently handles ships with a capacity of 1,500 to 5,000 tons at the site. The machine transports various rock fractions (6 mm to 20 mm) directly into a hopper, which then conveys the material to the storage building via an automated conveyor system.

“After six months of intensive operation, we know that we made the right decision. The machine runs absolutely reliably and has significantly increased our productivity ,” Mark Whelehan continued.

100,000 tons higher handling capacity

The high-performance SENNEBOGEN 865 E from FM Conway has increased handling capacity to around 420 tons per hour – an increase of over 100,000 tons per year compared to its predecessor. “We can unload a 1,500-ton vessel in about 6 to 8 hours, depending on the tides. For larger vessels, this time increases to 13 to 16 hours,” reports the team at the Erith site.

csm_2025_865_E_Port_FM_Conway_UK_3__dd0cd075c4
The winding cable drum ensures a safe energy supply and enables unrestricted mobility on the entire unloading platform.

csm_2025_865E_Port_FM_Conway_UK_2__21127a50ec
The SENNEBOGEN 865 E meets the challenges in Erith with a reach of 25 meters, a crawler portal with large-area weight distribution, a powerful and virtually silent electric motor that saves up to 30% of operating costs with the Green Hybrid recuperation system.