The award-winning Konecranes hybrid reach stacker has completed a full year of field testing at the Port of Helsingborg on the south-west coast of Sweden. The test machines have now permanently joined the existing fleet of 15 Konecranes reach stackers and forklifts in the port.

The hybrid reach stacker, called the SMV 4531 TB5 HLT, was launched in January 2013. It features a serial hybrid diesel/electric driveline, an electrified hydraulic closed circuit lifting system and super capacitor-based energy storage. The hybrid reach stacker demonstrates a saving on fuel consumption of between 30% and 50% during normal handling of fully loaded containers compared to conventional reach stackers. Over the test period the tested machines’ reduced emissions amounted to 80 tons less CO2.

Excellent results
During the field tests independent operators established that not only can the machine guarantee significant fuel savings but they also confirmed improved responsiveness and acceleration resulting in enhanced productivity. The machine’s smoother operation also improved operator comfort leading to less fatigue.

“We are very happy with the performance of the machine and not just on the fuel saving and reduction of the CO2 emission. The machine’s reliability, performance and driver comfort have exceeded our expectations”, says Mats Fernebrand, Purchasing Manager, Port of Helsingborg.

“The completion of our field tests has confirmed that the hybrid reach stacker offers unparalleled savings on running costs and energy consumption. These efficiencies are ideal for clients looking to be frontrunners in eco-efficient technology without compromising on heavy lifting performance”, says Lars Fredin, Vice-President and Head of Business Unit Lift Trucks, Konecranes.

Moving Forward
Due to the global interest in the hybrid reach stacker, which was recently awarded FLTA’s (Fork Lift Truck Association) excellence award in the environmental category, Konecranes has decided to offer serial produced hybrid reach stackers. The lessons from the field testing will be used to further improve productivity and energy efficiency while engineers continue to work on lowering the emissions of pollutants and noise.

Caption:
The world’s first hybrid reach stacker in operation at the Port of Helsingborg.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity-enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment and machine tools of all makes. In 2013, Group sales totaled EUR 2,100 million. The Group has 11,800 employees at 600 locations in 48 countries. Konecranes is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (symbol: KCR1V).