Fig.: Hyster
Diesel forklifts and an empty container handling machine accounted for more than 95% of CO2 emissions at the container provider Caru in Rotterdam in 2021. An electric forklift now reduces operating costs. Its 650-volt lithium-ion batteries draw their power from solar panels at the depot.
“Caru Containers has invested heavily in its sustainability program,” says Thirza Belder, Sustainability Officer at Caru. “As a global leader in container shipping, we want to integrate sustainability into our entire value chain. We are aiming for net zero before 2030. For this reason, in 2021 we began discussions with Hyster regarding the procurement of electric forklifts and equipment. This later led us to an electric empty container handling machine.”
Caru already has a 240-kilowatt-hour battery. It can store enough energy to power the empty container stacker for most of the year. On shorter winter days, grid power supplements less efficient solar energy. With this setup, the stacker is expected to operate for five to six hours during a shift before needing to be recharged overnight . Caru has installed measuring devices throughout the site to determine what percentage of the energy consumed comes from solar power.
“A site that generates its own electricity is an excellent application for a fully electric vehicle,” says Jan Willem van den Brand, Head of Heavy-Duty Forklifts at Hyster. “The all-electric empty container stacker we are supplying to Caru is the result of years of research and development in sustainable technologies for the port and container handling industry.”
The battery-electric empty container stacker is the latest in a series of developments. With this, Hyster claims a pioneering role in the electrification of high-performance port equipment traditionally powered by internal combustion engines. Hyster offers another advanced electric drive system with a hydrogen fuel cell-powered empty container stacker at a terminal in Hamburg. The company is currently field-testing the very first hydrogen fuel cell-powered container handling equipment at the Port of Los Angeles. A pilot project with a fuel cell-powered reach stacker at the Port of Valencia, as well as a partnership with Capacity Trucks to develop electric and hydrogen-powered terminal tractors, has already been announced. Hyster has experience in developing electric forklifts. For smaller, lighter material handling equipment, Hyster offers energy options for both battery-electric and hydrogenfuel cell propulsion.
“Our mission is to provide innovative technologies that enable our customers to achieve their emissions and performance targets,” says van den Brand. “For some companies, it’s lithium-ion, for others, hydrogen is the right choice. The right solution depends on many factors. These include, for example, the duty cycle, the capacity of the supply network, and fuel availability. Our customers deserve a choice. This allows them to find the right solution for their needs and avoids forcing just one technology into their operations.”
The electric empty container stacker at the Caru depot is expected to operate for approximately 2,000 hours per year. Heffiq, a dealer near Caru Containers, provides 24/7 service to ensure maximum uptime for the stacker. Hyster is actively involved in the integration. As the electric equivalent of the H10XD ECD8 twin-truck, the empty container stacker can handle up to eight containers in a double-truck configuration. The design approach is largely familiar to operators already experienced with other Hyster heavy-duty stackers. This also helps to keep costs for design, manufacturing, service, and maintenance under control.
“There is great interest in electric heavy-duty forklifts,” says Martijn Veerkamp, Commercial Director at Heffiq. “However, customers have to consider applications, power supply infrastructure, return on investment, and more. We had very constructive discussions with Caru. Together, we were able to find a solution that meets the company's needs and its focus on sustainability. Heffiq is very proud to deliver the first electric empty container forklift in Rotterdam.”
