Konecranes expands presence in Brazil with order for 14 electric RTGs from Portonave

Portonave, the first private container terminal in Brazil, located in the southern part of the country, has ordered 14 Konecranes fully electric RTGs, marking a new customer for Konecranes in a critical regional market. The order was booked in Q4 2024 and the cranes will be delivered in mid-2026.

The road to zero tailpipe emissions operation in container handling, Ecolifting, will reach Portonave when these Konecranes RTGs get to work in 2026. The order reflects Portonave’s longstanding commitment to ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) practices including its use of electric machinery and equipment.

On an annual basis, the terminal handles approximately 1.2 million TEUs. In 2024, Portonave achieved the highest vessel productivity among all Brazilian ports, showcasing its operational excellence. The company has reached significant milestones and remains dedicated to establishing even higher standards in the years ahead. Plans are underway to expand operations, enhance efficiency, and continuously reduce emissions with technology solutions. This commitment led to the acquisition of Konecranes RTGs.

“There’s plenty of room to reduce emissions in Brazilian container handling operations, at the seaside, inland, everywhere. Portonave is a great example of how it’s possible to achieve zero tailpipe emissions, step by step. Konecranes will be here to give Portonave the container handling help it needs going forward,” said Alfredo Ramirez, Regional Sales Director, Port Solutions, Konecranes.

The RTGs are battery-driven with charging applied dynamically through a busbar system. This allows zero tailpipe operation, as there is no need for auxiliary diesel gensets. If an electricity outage occurs, Portonave’s RTG container handling will continue uninterrupted. The RTGs can operate for up to four hours on the batteries, which will be charged automatically when power from the grid is restored.

Portonave’s new RTGs will have a suite of Smart Features: Stack Collision Prevention, Auto-TOS Reporting, Auto-Truck Guiding, Truck Lift Prevention and Gantry Collision Prevention. For more detailed information, click here. They will also be equipped with special auto-steering and positioning technology that will help the operators drive the RTGs through the busbar system in the container stacks.

This order is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with our product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a material handling industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

For a concise overview of Konecranes’ business, please click here. More information on Konecranes RTGs can be found here.