ABB and crane builder Kuenz have secured the largest single order of Automatic Stacking Cranes ever made by a European terminal. As part of the groundbreaking “phase 2” expansion of the APM Terminals Maasvlakte II (APMT MVII) facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the two companies will deliver 62 such cranes.
In addition to the Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASCs), the order also includes one Intermodal Yard Crane equipped with the latest electrical and automation technology enabling the terminal to double container capacity at APMT MVII. The financial details of the order were not disclosed.
Also read: Major expansion of APMT’s Maasvlakte II container terminal
Yard crane automation
Formalised at a signing ceremony in Rotterdam on 13 March, involving APMT MVII, Kuenz (headquartered in Austria) and Swedish-Swiss multinational ABB, the contract gives testament to the continued trust in ABB to deliver yard crane automation for APMT MVII, following the success of the first phase which dates to 2012.
For the expansion, APMT MVII is building on the achievements of the existing facility which deploys the highest level of yard crane automation, with fully automated stacks, automated guided vehicle (AGV) transfer zone as well as fully automatic handling of external trucks.
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Record-low maintenance and remote control
The high level of automation with the separation of personnel and handling operations delivers safety as well as efficiency gains. Experience from the current facility also underlines how automation enables smoother and “machine-friendly” operations with less risk of damage to equipment, demonstrated in record-low maintenance hours for the terminal.
The scope of delivery from ABB includes control and information systems, automation sensors and software, and remote control capability to optimise the crane efficiency for remote crane management. Continuous development and solid revision management make it possible for APMT MVII to run both the existing facility and the expansion as a unified efficient facility at a high automation and performance level.
APMT MVII expansion
Ranged along 1000 metres of new quay, the APMT MVII expansion will significantly increase the capacity of APMT MVII during 2027, strengthening APMT MVII’s position among Europe’s leading container terminals. Yard operations will be highly sustainable as well as automated, with each all-electric crane optimised for 1 over 6-high stacking to make most efficient use of land.
Picture: Illustration of Maasvlakte ll after expansion (image by APM Terminals Maasvlakte II).
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