Green electricity AGVs in serial production
07 Aug 2018 13:02 Economy
The first serial production container transporter with lithium-ion battery propulsion has arrived at HHLA Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA). A heavy-lift transporter delivered the 26.5 ton Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) on 1 August. AGVs with conventional propulsion will be replaced step by step.
By early November, 24 more environment-friendly transport vehicles will successively be handed over to HHLA. Further deliveries will follow in the next few years, so that by the end of 2022 the fleet of almost 100 AGVs will have been entirely converted to lithium-ion battery propulsion.
In comparison to the AGVs deployed until now at CTA with lead batteries, the lithium-ion technology is notable for its recharging speed: These batteries can be fully charged in ninety minutes, weigh approximately only one third as much as lead acid batteries, and need no maintenance. By using green electricity, the battery AGVs at CTA transport containers between vessel and storage block without causing emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxide or respirable particles. This is making an important contribution to HHLA’s sustainability activities.
“With the lithium-ion AGV, we are making a contribution to preventing air pollution in Hamburg,” explains CTA general manager Ingo Witte. And the environment-friendly transporters make commercial sense too: “Taking the relationship between energy used and actual engine output, they are three times as efficient as their diesel-driven predecessors.”
In a test phase since the autumn of 2016, a prototype lithium-ion AGV has been interacting with an automatic charging station. Since 1 August, series production lithium-ion AGVs are being delivered weekly to Hamburg from the Konecranes factory in Düsseldorf. At CTA, they are initially replacing the first generation of diesel-powered vehicles, then the second generation of diesel-electric AGVs, and finally the lead-battery powered transporters. The entire fleet conversion should be completed by the end of 2022.
By deploying the new generation of AGVs, after completing the fleet changeover, HHLA will be reducing the annual emission of CO2 by some 15,500 tons and nitrogen oxide by some 118 tons. With the diesel AGVs being withdrawn from service first, however, even in the next few weeks emissions at CTA will sink considerably.
By early November, 24 more environment-friendly transport vehicles will successively be handed over to HHLA. Further deliveries will follow in the next few years, so that by the end of 2022 the fleet of almost 100 AGVs will have been entirely converted to lithium-ion battery propulsion.
In comparison to the AGVs deployed until now at CTA with lead batteries, the lithium-ion technology is notable for its recharging speed: These batteries can be fully charged in ninety minutes, weigh approximately only one third as much as lead acid batteries, and need no maintenance. By using green electricity, the battery AGVs at CTA transport containers between vessel and storage block without causing emissions of CO2, nitrogen oxide or respirable particles. This is making an important contribution to HHLA’s sustainability activities.
“With the lithium-ion AGV, we are making a contribution to preventing air pollution in Hamburg,” explains CTA general manager Ingo Witte. And the environment-friendly transporters make commercial sense too: “Taking the relationship between energy used and actual engine output, they are three times as efficient as their diesel-driven predecessors.”
In a test phase since the autumn of 2016, a prototype lithium-ion AGV has been interacting with an automatic charging station. Since 1 August, series production lithium-ion AGVs are being delivered weekly to Hamburg from the Konecranes factory in Düsseldorf. At CTA, they are initially replacing the first generation of diesel-powered vehicles, then the second generation of diesel-electric AGVs, and finally the lead-battery powered transporters. The entire fleet conversion should be completed by the end of 2022.
By deploying the new generation of AGVs, after completing the fleet changeover, HHLA will be reducing the annual emission of CO2 by some 15,500 tons and nitrogen oxide by some 118 tons. With the diesel AGVs being withdrawn from service first, however, even in the next few weeks emissions at CTA will sink considerably.
Green electricity AGVs in serial production