The investment supports the Texan port’s long-term improvement programme covering channel development and land infrastructure investment. The order was booked in Q3 2023 and the cranes are scheduled to be delivered at the beginning of 2025.

Port Houston is continuing to hybridise RTG container handling at its Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals as it strives to cater for growing container traffic in an eco-efficient way. Port Houston’s current RTG fleet consists of 116 Konecranes RTGs, of which 26 are hybrid RTGs. By early 2025, the hybrid RTG fleet will grow to 57, following this latest order and the one announced last October (also for 26).

All the new machines stack 1-over-5 high, span 6 rows plus a truck lane and have a lifting capacity under spreader of 50 US tons. They come equipped with Konecranes Active Load Control system and a number of “smart features,” including Auto-Steering, Stack Collision Prevention and Truck Lift Prevention.

“Konecranes RTGs are very popular in North America and it’s good to see the hybrid version populating the RTG fleet of Port Houston, which is always forward-looking, especially when it comes to eco-efficiency,” said Jussi Suhonen, VP Regional Sales, Port Solutions, Konecranes.

The hybrid Konecranes RTGs on order have advanced Li-ion battery technology and a battery management system that monitors the charge level and general health of the batteries. Konecranes can monitor the status of this system via its TRUCONNECT remote connection system. The hybrid power system is completely modular and retrofittable. The diesel engine charges the batteries when necessary.

The order is part of “Ecolifting,” the name used by Konecranes to describe its ongoing work to reduce the carbon footprint of customers, ranging from optimised diesel drives, through hybridisation to fully electric fleets.