The number of times LED lighting fixtures are mentioned in port authority press releases as an energy-efficiency initiative can easily give the impression that LED technology is universally accepted for port applications, but that is not yet the case.

Larger terminal operators, in particular, typically want to test LED fixtures before committing to projects. Sweden’s Prismalence has been working with Felixstowe in the UK, starting with testing fixtures on crane cabins for two years, before installing its LEDs across two cranes a few months ago. This involved replacing 36 x 1,000W metal halide (MH) fixtures with 36 Prismalence Stella LED 300W fixtures per crane.

Commenting on the market, international sales manager Daniel Björk said the industry is “very interested in LED, but customers maintain a healthy scepticism regarding the long-time performance and cost-effectiveness”. The rapid pace of LED development made some customers inclined to wait (particularly as prices started to fall), but Björk notes that pace has slowed down significantly in the last two years, “and a lot of not-so-serious players have been weeded out”. Prismalence expects the number of retrofit projects and new installations will start to increase this year.

At another project, Prismalence has retrofitted the first of two sister STS cranes for APM Terminals Gothenburg in Sweden, replacing 36x 2x400W SON (low pressure sodium) with 36x Prismalence Stella LED 300W fixtures. Björk noted that the operators are generally very happy with the switch from orange light of 2,700K (Kelvin) with a CRI (colour rendering index) of 30, to white light with 5,000K and a CRI of 70, although some personnel need time to get used to the change. Light levels are the same at an average of 250 Lux (most fixtures are mounted at 45m) “but all agree that the visibility is much
improved”.

Replacement projects are not always fixture-for-fixture – Prismalence is also in the middle of another retrofit project for APM Terminals in Algeciras involving three cranes, replacing 17 x 1,000W fixtures with 23 Stella LED 300W fixtures per crane, where more fixtures are being installed to increase the light levels.

San Pedro lit up

At Los Angeles and Long Beach – two ports that arguably have some of the most ambitious environmental targets – LEDs continue to make inroads. Last year, the Port of Long Beach and Southern California Edison (SCE) collaborated with SSA Marine at Pier A on a high-mast LED demonstration project that will, amongst other things, help determine the level of financial incentives SCE might offer for LED retrofits, based on actual energy savings.

When it comes to LED fixtures on cranes, Phoenix Products first installed LED floodlights at the Port of Los Angeles in 2012, and they have now been running for over five years. More installations, often carried out at the same time as cranes are raised and refurbished, have followed, and Phoenix notes confidence in its products is building as the installed base grows.

There is still some ‘sticker shock’ at the initial cost, but Ryan Hertel, Phoenix’s global manager, ports and terminals, stresses that proven results, along with falling prices “have combined to result in a more attractive ROI for many ports in North America and Europe”. He also notes that certain states, utilities and port authorities have grant funding available for LED upgrades, to help with the cost.

Another application for LED fixtures is on mobile harbour cranes (MHCs), and Phoenix is also seeing an increased adoption rate in this sector. While most MHCs are diesel powered, and will not therefore see the same level of fuel-savings as a shore powered crane, there are still compelling reasons to adopt LED technology.

One of Phoenix’s first clients in this sector was St James Stevedoring in Louisiana (SJS), which started its LED journey in 2013, retrofitting a Gottwald Model 8 barge-mounted MHC with Phoenix LEDs (replacing the 1,000W MH floodlights with Phoenix ModCom Hi 300W fixtures). Again, SJS compared two cranes (one with LED, one without) in the same application, before retrofitting further cranes. The primary driver was to increase safety through better light levels. SJS wanted to eliminate periods of especially poor light as traditional fixtures warmed up after an operational shutdown. It could lose five to seven crane cycles waiting for lighting to come on. SJS also found the instant-on capability of LED fixtures to be a significant gain for emergency response requirements.

Hertel said LEDs are gaining traction on MHCs, and Phoenix has done projects in Africa, Latin America, Europe and North America, installing its EcoMod Series LED floodlights on both new and existing cranes. Improving light levels and quality, and reducing maintenance are the main driving factors, but, in some cases, the reduced power consumption of the LED floodlights allows for a reduced size of auxiliary generator on the crane, he added.

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This complete item is approximately 1000 words in length, and appeared in the February 2017 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 44. To access this issue download the PDF here.