Larger order for 34 drive-in units in Japanese port

Electrification project for 17 container stacking cranes in Japan / customer Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. / use of technology from Weil am Rhein in Hakata Port / support for CO₂ reduction from Japanese government.

Weil am Rhein, February 2010. Conductix-Wampfler AG, part of the Conductix-Wampfler Group, world leading manufacturer of systems for the transmission of energy and data to mobile consumers, has been granted a larger order by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Japan. A total of 13 existing and four new rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) in Hakata Port in Fukuoka will be equipped with the drive-in technology developed by Conductix-Wampfler.

3.8 kilometers of power supply

The order for the electrification of diesel-powered RTG cranes will receive state support in the framework of a Japanese government program for CO₂ reduction. "Each of the 17 RTGs for Hakata Port will receive two drive-in units," explains Claus Burger of Conductix-Wampfler Deutschland. This will permit the replacement of a crane in a parallel
corridor without the need for a 180° turn. "This will also save steel, since one steel framework between two container corridors can be supplied with conductor rail systems on the right and left sides of both corridors," says Burger. A total of 15 blocks will be equipped. The total length of power transmission segments is 3.8 km. "The Conductix-Wampfler 0813 conductor rail system with 1,000 amperes and four parallel phases will be used," adds Jiro Ogawa of Conductix-Wampfler Singapore and Japan.

Last year in Shenzhen, China, Conductix-Wampfler successfully completed the pilot project for this forward-looking technology for 32 container corridors. "This order from Japan confirms that we are on the right track with our environmentally and resource-friendly approach, and that our innovative technology will be received positively around the world," says Daniel Dörflinger, CEO of Conductix-Wampfler AG.

Practical contribution to environmental protection

Idle time and downtime of gigantic cargo handling systems in ports are an enormous cost factor for ship owners and terminal operators for many years. Another is the energy prices, which have risen continually for years. In part, more than 50% of the total energy consumption of a port is caused by diesel-powered RTGs, which are essential for cargo handling. Many operators are thus looking for suitable power supply alternatives for this type of crane. With the retooling to E-RTG^TM with the so-called "drive-in unit" by Conductix-Wampfler, the manual "plugging in" of the RTG crane into the connection trolley of the conductor rail system can be omitted. Instead, the connection trolley is automatically steered to the guide rails of the steel frame when the RTG crane enters the corridor, and the connectors safely guided into the contact lines. The Conductix-Wampfler "drive-in" solution thus saves time and energy, increasing the efficiency of a terminal while reducing its environmental burden.