Kalmar hybrid straddle carriers to help Forth Ports to take concrete steps towards equipment decarbonization

Kalmar has concluded a deal to supply Forth Ports Group with a total of six Kalmar hybrid straddle carriers for its UK operations. Three of the machines will be deployed at the Port of Tilbury’s London Container Terminal in Tilbury and three at Forth Ports Grangemouth. The large order was booked in Kalmar’s Q1 2025 order intake, and delivery of the machines is scheduled to be completed during Q1 2026.

The Port of Tilbury is the largest of the eight ports owned by Forth Ports and the largest multimodal port terminal on the south-east coast of the UK, with an annual throughput of 16 million tonnes per annum. The port offers services for a variety of cargo, such as ro-ro, containers, forest products, grain and automotive as well as cruises and real estate solutions. Forth Ports Grangemouth is Scotland’s largest port, handling nine million tonnes of cargo each year – including fine food and drink, machinery, fuel, steel products, timber, paper and equipment for the oil and gas industry – through specialist container, liquid and general cargo terminals.

The new Kalmar hybrid straddle carriers will help Forth Ports to significantly reduce both the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of their straddle carrier operations compared to traditional diesel-powered machines. Hybrid machines also generate much less noise.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Forth Ports: “We have been very happy with the reliability of our current fleet of Kalmar straddle carriers and the local support provided by Kalmar. We have set out ambitious net zero targets across our business and we are investing in greener technology to ensure that our operations are sustainable, and the new hybrid machines will play a key role in supporting this commitment by helping us to reduce local emissions.”

Peter McCance, Country Director, UK & Ireland, Kalmar: “We are delighted to continue our long-standing and successful partnership with Forth Ports, which began two decades ago in 2005. Our proven hybrid solution, which can cut fuel consumption by up to 40% compared to equivalent diesel-powered machines, will help Forth Ports take concrete steps towards decarbonising their operations without compromising on productivity.”