Conductix-Wampfler electrifies RTG container cranes all around the world

Major port and terminal operator APM Terminals plans to convert RTG cranes to electrical operation / Global frame agreement signed with Conductix-Wampfler for RTG crane conversions.

Weil am Rhein, March 2011. The Conductix-Wampfler AG, member of the Conductix-Wampfler Group – worldwide leading manufacturer of systems for energy and data transmission to mobile consumers –, has concluded a Global Frame Agreement with the major container terminal operator APM Terminals. APM Terminals intends to convert the majority of it’s fleet of more than 400 RTG’s (RTGs) to electric operation. The „E-RTG“-technique developed in Weil am Rhein will be applied on RTG’s cranes of the Dutch port and terminal operator APM Terminals in the future. This company, that runs 50 port facilities in 34 countries all over the world, recently concluded an global agreement with Conductix-Wampfler as the primary contractor for the conversion of cranes in twelve container terminals and with the arising rebuilding at the port facilities. The respective contracts were signed at the APM Terminals headquarters in The Hague on March 1; beginning of the first conversions is planned in April. I see this agreement as an appreciation of our engineering services in the field of crane electrification – I think, we can be proud of this”, declared Daniel Dörflinger, CEO of Conductix-Wampfler AG.

Reduce costs, save the environment

The conversion to E-RTGs is a means for APM Terminals and also for other port operators to reduce the fuel consumption and the CO₂-emission: Diesel-driven RTGs often cause a good half of the corresponding consumption respectively emission of a complete port. The economical and environmentally sound impact from a conversion will therefore be immense. With the E-RTG systems of Conductix-Wampfler the indispensable cranes can be converted to a favorable operation by electric current; the electrification can be realized via drive-in operation, plug-in operation or by motorized cable reels.

APM Terminals favors drive-in systems

The Conductix-Wampfler drive-in system enables the cranes to change the stacks without a time-consuming plugging in and out of the conductor rail connection: On each change crane and conductor rail will be automatically connected. The first conversion projects will take place at terminals in the Asia / Pacific region.


Leading in environmentally sound E-RTG technique

During the last four years the company has concluded numerous similar projects for port operators in China, Korea and Japan, a major order from Turkey is currently in process. „More than 700 of our E-RTG-systems are already in operation worldwide, after having concluded APM Terminal’s conversions it will be more than 1.000“, says Dörflinger. A substantial contribution to resource conservation and environmental protection.