DP World Antwerp Gateway has ordered a fleet of 34 Automated Stacking Cranes (Konecranes Gottwald ARMGs) for its container terminal in Antwerp, Belgium. The cranes will be an expansion to the current fleet of 20 ARMGs currently in operation. The first batch will be delivered in Q2 2022, the last batch by 2026. This order was booked in December 2020.

DP World Antwerp Gateway was very motivated to continue their current operating concept, using their current ASC system delivered by Gottwald in 2006. With this new ASC system, featuring a fleet of Konecranes Gottwald ARMGs, the advantages of the latest automation technologies will be exploited.

Jef Lambregts, Head of Projects at DP World Antwerp Gateway, said: “We had a series of deep discussions with Konecranes regarding every aspect of our automation expansion at our terminal. Eventually, we were convinced that Konecranes could provide every dimension needed. We need technology continuation of our current ASC concept. We want to take advantage of the latest developments in automation technology. We will get improved automated truck handling and remote operation ergonomics.”

Konecranes is providing both technology continuity and innovation. The new ASC system order will follow the Gottwald ARMG design concept, the most notable physical feature being the rigid guiding beam for container load control. A new trolley design has been developed to support an increased lifting height. The new design will be based on Konecranes’ proven technology, with a hybrid of existing systems for auto-landing on the truck chassis.

As part of the project, TBA will extend the existing Equipment Control System (ECS) used at the terminal. The TBA ECS is highly flexible and field-proven, able to operate reliably and efficiently across every type of automated container handling equipment and every Terminal Operating System (TOS) and equipment combination.

The new Konecranes Gottwald ARMGs will stack containers 1-over-6 spanning 9 container rows, providing excellent stacking density.

Port Services from Konecranes will also be part of the delivery. There will be an extension to the current Service Level Agreement (SLA), which will include software updates.

This is part of Kone­cranes’ path to port automation, where container terminals improve productivity and safety in manageable steps. From smart features up to full automation, the path can include supervised operation and remote operation to smoothly introduce the power of automation. The path to port automation applies to all container handling equipment brands. Full automation can be the final goal but it doesn’t have to be. Flexibility is the key.