Port Houston in Texas has ordered five Konecranes hybrid Rubber-Tyred Gantry (RTGs) cranes for its Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
The new equipment will reportedly support the port’s long-term improvement programme covering channel development and land infrastructure investment.
The order was booked in Q3 2023, with the cranes to be delivered at the beginning of 2025.
Houston’s current RTG fleet consists of 116 Konecranes RTGs, of which 26 are hybrid RTGs. By early 2025, the hybrid RTG fleet will grow to 57 following this order and another one announced last October.
“Konecranes RTGs are very popular in North America and it’s good to see the hybrid version populating the RTG fleet of Port Houston, which is always forward-looking, especially when it comes to eco-efficiency,” said Jussi Suhonen, Vice President Regional Sales, Port Solutions, Konecranes.
The hybrid Konecranes RTGs on order have advanced Li-ion battery technology and a battery management system that monitors the charge level and general health of the batteries.
READ: Port of Savannah obtains Konecranes’ four new electric STS cranes
Konecranes can monitor the status of this system via TRUCONNECT remote connection. The hybrid power system is completely modular and retrofittable. It includes an eco-efficient Tier 4f diesel engine that charges the batteries when necessary.
In mid-August of 2023, Portchain welcomed Port Houston to the Portchain Connect Network with the aim of enhancing berth alignment quality and timeliness for its clients.
More recently, Port Houston announced that its container volumes this July were the highest of any previous July on record.
