Record Low Energy Consumption in Containerized Bulk Handling

In modern port operations, productivity and sustainability increasingly go hand in hand. A recent long-term performance analysis of our E-Crane operating in a CBH-application clearly demonstrates how both objectives can be achieved simultaneously.

About CBH operations

In this operation, bulk material is delivered to the quay inside dedicated 20ft containers mounted on terminal trailers. Using a rotating spreader, the E-Crane connects to the container, lifts it from the trailer, swings it over the vessel and rotates it to discharge the material directly into the ship’s hold. Once emptied, the container is accurately repositioned onto the truck’s twist locks. All this is done entirely without assistance from additional equipment.

One does it all

This unique single-machine approach not only simplifies the operation but also creates significant economic advantages. Since no auxiliary equipment is required, customers benefit from substantially lower capital expenditure, while operational costs are minimized through a highly efficient setup requiring only one operator on the dock.

The results

Over a monitored period of six months, the installation handled an impressive 1.21 million tons of cargo. Despite the operational constraints typical for this type of logistics chain, the crane consistently achieved an average handling rate of 20 containers per hour, while reaching peak vessel loading performances of up to 15,000 tons per day.

What makes these results truly exceptional is the crane’s remarkably low energy consumption. During the six-month monitoring period, the E-Crane’s single electrical motor operated for 2,859 hours with an average power consumption of only 146 kWh per hour. This translates into an astonishingly low energy usage of just 0.34 kWh per ton loaded.

Conclusion

Thanks to the balanced design and energy-efficient operating principle of the E-Crane, the installation combines continuous high-performance material handling with minimal power demand, resulting in significantly lower operating costs and reduced environmental impact.

This project once again confirms that efficient bulk handling is no longer only about throughput capacity. With E-Crane, customers benefit from a solution that delivers operational excellence, low ownership costs and industry-leading energy efficiency.