Jul 06 | 2022
Demand Surges for Electric Handling Equipment
By Simon West
The pressure on ports and terminals to decarbonize has sparked runaway demand for electric cargo-handling equipment, with providers of cranes, forklifts, reachstackers and other machinery for transporting breakbulk working overtime to stay ahead of the curve.For material handling specialist Mantsinen, electrification is nothing new.
The Finnish firm has been offering customers electric-powered cranes and other machinery for 15 years. Until recently, 60 percent of the equipment it sold was diesel-based, with the remainder powered by supply from the local grid. Now though, the split is more even.
“We are now at 50-50,” said Patrik Starck, sales director at Mantsinen. “The increase towards electric is getting quicker as we speak.”
Although battery technology will be crucial for energy transition, the kilowatts required for handling heavy-duty breakbulk means electric-powered machines still rely on cable reels to connect to the local grid – not always an option in sprawling ports and terminals where power supply may be difficult to access.
To address this, Mantsinen has launched what it says is the first-ever dual-power concept in material handlers, whereby operators can work using either shore power through a cable reel, or if shore power is unavailable, using a diesel engine connected directly to the pump gear powering the hydraulic circuit.
The machine’s motor and engine sit side by side, operated by the same control system. A separation clutch allows the driver to easily switch from one source to the other.
“You basically have two options,” Starck said. “You can operate at a quay where you have electric power, then when you move the machine to another side of the port, with no electricity available, you can switch to the diesel engine.”
“Moving the machine is not limited to the electric cable length or electric supply location. And it is not such a big thing environmentally if you are just moving the machine from one side to the other with the diesel.”
The dual power option can be fitted to all of the company’s material handlers, from the Mantsinen 120 up to its largest machine, the Mantsinen 300.
Supply Chain Demands
Surging demand for this kind of less-polluting, innovative equipment is leading to fierce competition among suppliers. Customers themselves are often under pressure from their own stakeholders to take responsibility for activities that occur throughout the supply chain.
“It is really like a domino effect where one big player is asking for something, then all the stack in that logistics chain have to follow,” Starck said. “We are one of the last ones in the chain, but we also have to be part of it.”
Although electric-powered machines are more costly – Starck estimated a 5 percent to 10 percent differential, as users may have to invest in transformers and other components – the benefits of cutting carbon emissions and saving on energy costs are clear.
The shift to electric benefits the company, as ongoing supply chain problems mean acquiring diesel engines is more of a challenge than sourcing electric motors and components.
Machinery powered by electric sources can also offer operators more power.
“You are not limited in the kilowatt rate that the motor gives you, so you can do more over a certain period of time. The electric motor actually gives you a little bit extra juice, if you are just looking at raw kilowatts.”
Simon West is senior reporter for Breakbulk.
PHOTO: Mantsinen’s dual-power concept allows operators to work using either shore power through a cable reel or a diesel engine. Credit: Mantsinen
