Bahamas port goes electric with Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor crane

Arawak Port Development Limited (APD) has ordered a Konecranes Gottwald ESP.6 mobile harbor crane to add substantial extra capacity to their terminal at the Port of Nassau. This crane will be the first at the port to run on mains power, which means zero emissions during operation. The crane was ordered in Q1 2024 and will be delivered in Q3 2024.

APD operates one of the largest port facilities in the Caribbean, and is expanding its Nassau facilities with new container handling equipment to keep pace with growing demand. With one Konecranes Gottwald Generation 6 mobile harbor crane already operating at the harbor, APD ordered another to fully leverage the crane’s high capacity and outstanding performance, plus its lower emissions from electric operation.

“This new crane will take care of the increase in our rapidly growing container business, and powering it from the harbor mains emphasizes our commitment to decarbonization. Konecranes’ digital services will also help us keep track of the crane’s performance and condition,” says Rudolph Tener-Knowles, Assistant Vice-President, Operations and Facilities, APD.

“The Bahamas is an island nation where ports play an essential role in the economy. By choosing Konecranes again for their new container handling crane, APD has shown strong confidence in our technology and expertise to help them serve local business. Our Generation 6 cranes offer the performance, reliability and eco-efficiency that such a market demands,” says Marc Wellenberg, Regional Sales Manager America Region, Port Solutions, Konecranes.

The order is for a Konecranes Gottwald ESP.6 mobile harbor crane, with a working radius of up to 49 m and a maximum capacity of 125 t to serve container ships up to Panamax class. Strong lifting capacity curves, improved handling rates and a high classification ensure a long service life. When connected to the harbor mains, it eliminates local exhaust emissions and collects lowering and braking energy to be either stored in onboard capacitors or fed back into the grid. For unplugged operation, the crane is powered by a hybrid drive that consists of a fuel-optimized diesel generator combined with capacitors that provide additional power for heavy lifts. Konecranes will provide an extensive spare parts package to speed up maintenance and minimize downtime.

For deeper insights, APD uses TRUCONNECT remote monitoring to collect usage data, which is sent via secure mobile connection to the yourKONECRANES customer portal. There they get a full overview of their Konecranes equipment, with detailed information about fuel consumption, carbon emissions and handling performance.

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This contract is part of Ecolifting™, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with our product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a material handling industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.