LCB Container Terminal 1 Ltd. converting yard cranes to "Drive-In L" technology

Contract signed for the electrification of 26 container blocks / conversion from diesel to electric drive by 2013

Conductix-Wampfler, a part of the Delachaux Group and the world's leading manufacturer of systems for data and energy transmission to moving machinery, has signed a contract with LCB Container Terminal 1 Ltd. ( LCB1) in Laem Chabang – the largest port in Thailand – for the electrification of rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs). The order volume is over 1 million Euros. The project supports the vision of the Port Authority of Thailand to create a Green Port operation in Laem Chabang.

By 2013, a total of 26 container blocks will be converted from diesel to electric operation. Conductix-Wampfler will install over 2.500 meters of conductor rails.

Save the environment

Conversion to E-RTGs is one way for port operators to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Diesel-operated RTGs often easily account for half of the CO₂ emissions of a terminal operation. The economic and environmental effects of conversion are correspondingly large.

Upon signing the "RTG Electrification Modification Agreement", Khun Chalermchai Meekhun-iam, Director General of the Port Authority of Thailand, said, "We appreciate LCB1’s support for the Green Port Initiative and hope that the leadership demonstrated by LCB1 will inspire other terminals to follow suit"

Niels T. Hansen, CEO of LCB Container Terminal 1 Ltd., emphasized the importance to take care of the earth’s limited resources and working towards a sustainable future and stated: “The electrification of the RTGs at LCB1 will assist enhancing Port of Laem Chabang’s leadership position within environmental performance and to make the port a role model for other ports in Thailand and elsewhere in the region.”

“Drive-In L”: Maximum flexibility

Using Conductix-Wampfler's E-RTG system, vital RTG cranes can be converted to cost-saving electrical operation. The electrification can use the Drive-In solution, the plug-in solution, or a motor-driven reel.

In Laem Chabang, the new "Drive-In L" system by Conductix-Wampfler will be used. It has an extremely compact design and does entirely without pneumatic or hydraulic components. Thanks to its compact design, the Drive-In L – regardless of the model of RTG and the position of the diesel engine – can be installed on both sides of the RTG under the sill beam. That makes the solution the most flexible of its kind currently on the market. The entry or exit time of the RTG is less than 20 seconds with Drive-In L. The short entry zone also makes it possible to supply the RTG with power right from the first row of containers. Compensation is also ensured for tolerances that occur during travel of the RTG into container blocks or due to lifting and lowering. The purely electrical drive reduces maintenance effort and thus downtime to a minimum. Coupling into the conductor rail with Drive-In L is entirely automatic and is controlled exclusively from the cabin of the RTG. Ground personnel are no longer required to switch blocks, increasing safety in the terminal.

1,300 fewer tons of CO₂ each year

"Converting the RTGs in Laem Chabang will save about 1300 tons of CO₂ a year," said Bernd Itzin, Manager Global E-RTG Projects at Conductix-Wampfler. Thailand has a total of 158 RTGs in operation. The potential for further environmental protection measures in this region is therefore large.