Saft, the world’s leading designer and manufacturer of advanced technology batteries for industry, has been awarded a contract by MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems to supply leading-edge lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for four new hybrid-powered mobile RTG (rubber tyred gantry) cranes serving Houston Harbour in the US state of Texas. The contract is an important breakthrough for Saft in the US hybrid RTG crane market that is set for growth as operators seek to drive down their fuel costs while reducing emissions. There are up to 600 existing RTG cranes in US harbours that could potentially be retrofitted with hybrid power systems, while around 150 new cranes are built every year for the global market.

RTGs play an important logistics role in ports and harbours, where they are used to transport and stack shipping containers during ship loading and unloading. Normally, the electric motors for the movement and hoisting functions are powered by a diesel generator often kept idling 24/7 to ensure that the crane is always ready for operation. MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems has developed an innovative alternative approach for its EcoCrane systems that replaces the conventional diesel power plant (typically rated at 400 to 750 kW) with a much smaller diesel generator set of 100 to 150 kW combined with a battery-based energy storage unit.

In previous installations at ports and rail yards, EcoCrane systems based on lead-acid batteries have demonstrated dramatic fuel savings of up to 70 per cent as well as reducing emissions from 87 to 98 per cent depending on the emissions category. Regular battery-only running also makes the crane operations much quieter, improving working conditions for operators and reducing noise impact on the local environment, as well as improving the machine responsiveness.

For the Houston cranes, MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems is taking the EcoCrane system to the next level by replacing the lead-acid batteries with Saft Li-ion batteries to supply the normal operating power as well as providing regenerative storage for energy captured as the crane hoist lowers containers. The small diesel generator will only need to be started to recharge the batteries when required - it will be turned off for around 50 per cent of the shift.

“The efficient and reliable energy storage provided by Saft Li-ion technology is already well proven in a wide variety of hybrid applications worldwide, including the marine and standby power industries. Now with this new application for MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems we are taking an important step into the US hybrid crane market,” said Alain Coadou, Saft’s marine systems business manager.

The Houston Harbour crane battery systems are based on Saft Li-ion technology developed to provide maintenance-free energy storage in a reduced volume, combining high operational reliability over thousands of cycles with outstanding energy efficiency. Saft is supplying a fully integrated energy storage solution including battery management systems.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has previously awarded MJ EcoPower Hybrid Systems’ EcoCrane system the Clean Air Excellence Award and, in June, recognised the same system as a verified technology that reduces emissions and improves fuel consumption.