Coupling sustainability and technology in port equipment

Konecranes, a global leader in material handling solutions, stands at the forefront of integrating sustainability into its business strategy. Committed to the UN Global Compact since 2010, the company aligns its operations and strategy with 9 out of 17 key UN SDGs. The company's push for low-carbon, energy-efficient solutions is exemplified by its Ecolifting™ and Path to Automation approach and a commitment to provide a full electric port equipment portfolio by 2026. Digitalization further bolsters its predictive maintenance capabilities, ensuring efficiency and cybersecurity in line with ISO 27001 and IEC 62443 standards, showcasing Konecranes' commitment to eco-efficiency and operational excellence. This abstract was presented at the PIANC Asia Pacific Conference in Sydney in August 27-30, 2024.

Introduction

The global imperative demands balancing the supply chain of essential materials and goods with resource conservation and emissions control. As an industry leader in lifting equipment services with the most extensive patent collection, Konecranes advances this objective through its decarbonization, Ecolifting™, Path to Port Automation, and digitalization initiatives. The company provides a comprehensive and advanced portfolio of container handling technologies that enhance safety, sustainability, and productivity. By applying global insights to local needs, Konecranes enhances operational efficiency while minimizing lifetime ownership costs. This paper highlights the company's commitment to unify technology advancements optimizing operational efficiency with environmental stewardship.

Sustainability at the core of business strategy

As a United Nations Global Compact participant since 2010, Konecranes is committed to the ten principles of the UN Global Compact. In 2023, Konecranes received a Gold rating from EcoVadis, a notable sustainability assessor, ranking in the top 4% of all evaluated firms and within the top 1% in its industry for the third consecutive year. In their latest published Annual Sustainability Report, Konecranes states that their sustainability approach and targets are aligned with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 7, 9, 12, 13, among others.^[1] Konecranes’ Zero4, a five-year ecosystem program, aims to tackle two major challenges: the climate change impact of material flows and the declining productivity of industrial companies in developed countries.^[2] Konecranes products and services support the customers' operations with innovative solutions that enhance productivity, lower emissions, and drive business forward.^[3]

Designed for Environment

Konecranes uses Design for Environment (DfE) as a design approach in product development to reduce the overall environmental impact of a product where the impacts are considered across its life cycle. The Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), that Konecranes provides for its port equipment, describes the environmental aspects of our products. The EPD is a standardized way of quantifying a product’s environmental impact through a summary of the relevant eco-efficient features which has been reviewed by an independent third- party service provider.^[4] These EPDs are currently available for all main products: RTG (Rubber Tired Gantry crane, Rail Mounted Gantry (RMG) crane, Automated RMG (ARMG), Lift truck, Ship To Shore crane (STS), Mobile Harbor Crane (MHC), Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) and Straddle Carrier (SC).

Ecolifting

The Konecranes Ecolifting approach is a systematic movement towards lower CO2 per container move.^[5] As an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), Konecranes is actively pushing forward new solutions focusing on providing safe, uninterrupted, and secure material handling with advanced low-carbon and energy-efficient technology that enables customers to transition to a decarbonized future. Konecranes introduces innovative technology to enhance sustainable practices in the port industry to ensure that low-carbon solutions and selected technologies are attractive to its clients. The first major step in this direction was the introduction of the Konecranes Gottwald all-electric AGV over ten years ago. Substituting existing technology with lower-emission alternatives is a big opportunity for all parties involved.

Electrification necessitates a paradigm shift

Konecranes has steadily expanded its offering of electric and hybrid products, with the last remaining diesel-fueled only product lines within the lift truck business to be made available electrically by 2026.^[1] Targeting to deliver safe and secure material handling solutions and enable a decarbonized, circular world. The shift to electric equipment is an ongoing process driven by a step-by-step approach and necessitating a paradigm shift, which presents challenges within the port sector that can be hesitant to adopt new practices. Upgrading infrastructure to enable full electric operation, including accommodating charging stations is necessary, along with possible modifications to planning and yard operations to adapt to the requirements of the new equipment. Additionally, the initial acquisition costs for electric machines are typically higher than those for traditional machines such as manual operated RTGs that run with diesel gensets. It’s common industry knowledge that RTGs are the most used container handling equipment in the world accountable for over 55% of container operations. Konecranes has been pioneering with different battery technologies since ‘90s and Ecolifting facilitates this shift in manageable steps for the port industry with the availability of battery-powered heavy mobile equipment.^[6] Furthermore, Konecranes maximizes lifecycle value and eliminates waste with circular solutions throughout the value chain, such as retrofitting and modernizing of existing equipment. Over the past decade, technological improvements have increased berth and crane performance benchmarks by 15% and 14%, respectively, with yard performance benchmark up 9%.^[7]

Technological leadership in automation

Over the course of the last 20 years, Konecranes has systematically become the leading port automation supplier for both brownfield and greenfield port developments. The Konecranes Gottwald AGV debuted in 1993 at ECT Port Rotterdam. Today Konecranes boasts an operational fleet of over 960 Konecranes Gottwald AGVs in some of the world’s largest terminals. Many of them have been in service for over 20 years.^[8] One of the emerging new concepts, Automated High-Bay Container Storage, addresses the constraints of space by utilizing both Path to Port automation and Ecolifting approaches for sustainable container handling.^[3] The Automated High-Bay Container Storage (AHBCS) is a storage system for containers designed for use in logistics centers, distribution centers and similar facilities that need to handle significant quantities of containers on a reduced footprint.

Digitalization

Another aspect of technology advancements improving port operations is the increased utilization of digital technologies. Digitalization improves predictive maintenance by harnessing the industrial internet to connect data, machines and people to provide the right service at the right time, being a key enabler for circular economy. Big data analysis allows the development of new predictive services which help in enabling uninterrupted operations and therefore improve the efficiency of terminals. Preventive and predictive maintenance through Lifecycle Care, enabled by sensors and data analysis, minimizes the cost of downtime.^[9] Konecranes port equipment creates value for crane operators by providing applications that increase safety, usability and efficiency. Fleet analysis gives customers a unified overview of how all of their equipment is performing. Konecranes emphasizes the security of its software and connected services by incorporating fundamental cybersecurity safeguards and adhering to relevant regulations. The organization commits to protecting customer data and following established best practices, such as ISO 27001 and IEC 62443.^[1] The adherence to security standards encompasses both the company's product and service portfolio offered to customers and its internal information security governance.

Discussion and Conclusion

Coupling sustainability and technology is a wider effort within the entire supply chain, governmental regulations, and commercially technological advancements that extends the realm of a traditional OEM. Konecranes has demonstrated a profound dedication to integrating sustainability into its operations and the solutions it provides to the industry to contribute to reducing environmental impacts in the port equipment sector. With a strong focus on innovation, Konecranes leads port automation with electric AGVs and the AHBCS system as well as automated gantry cranes enhancing operational efficiency. Capitalizing on digitalization for predictive maintenance and emphasizing cybersecurity standards, the company exemplifies its commitment to eco-efficiency and setting industry benchmarks for sustainable practices.