Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) has proceeded with the renewal of the straddle carrier fleet at its Container Terminal Tollerort (CTT) with eight new straddle carriers with hybrid drive going into operation in April.
These vehicles consume significantly less fuel and thus also emit correspondingly fewer emissions, according to HHLA’s statement. Including these eight new units, the hybrid straddle carrier fleet at CTT now totals 18 units.
Explaining the technology that is used in the new equipment, HHLA says, “The straddle carrier stores surplus energy, which is for example generated during braking or while the load is being lowered, in a high-performance lithium-ion battery. As it drives, the vehicle uses this energy from the battery. This significantly eases the load on the combustion engine.”
According to a statement, each hybrid straddle carrier thus saves over 30% fuel per operating hour compared to the diesel-electric previous models, which means that the eight new hybrid straddle carriers can save about 200,000 litres of diesel per year, while CO2 emissions are also greatly reduced by around 530 tonnes per year.
Commenting on the new hybrid straddle carrier fleet, CTT managing director Robin Steyer noted, “With the modern hybrid straddle carriers, we are cutting our energy costs and reducing emissions at the same time. They are further proof that HHLA consistently relies on state-of-the-art technology and intelligent solutions.”
Beforehand, HHLA tested the equipment itself in 24/7 port operations under all weather conditions: The first two prototypes of hybrid straddle carriers started test operations at CTT back in January 2019. At the time, they were a further step by HHLA towards converting its large-scale equipment to increasingly environmentally friendly technologies.
