Lift AGVs for APM TerminalsAPM Terminals is believed to be the first commercial customer worldwide for Gottwald’s Lift AGV (the AGV that decouples at the ASC interface)
APMT has placed an order for 36 Lift AGVs for the first phase of its new, automated terminal at Maasvlakte II in Rotterdam, due to open in November 2014. The diesel-electric drive vehicles have a top speed of 22 kph with a maximum payload of 60t.
Gottwald Port Technology, part of Demag Cranes AG, launched Lift AGV, which decouples at the landside interface, more than four years ago and pre-production prototypes have been tested with existing operators of Gottwald's long-established, classic "passive" AGV. APMT Rotterdam is the first commercial customer for Lift AGV worldwide.
Civil construction of APMT's new terminal at Maasvlakte II is due to start this June and the first set of Lift AGVs will be delivered in 1Q/2013, to provide time for thorough testing and integration with other CHE at the terminal. APMT is already studying the feasibility of battery-electric Lift AGVs. (Battery AGVs and the battery exchange system co-developed with HHLA and Vollert have been tested at HHLA's CTA Altenwerder automated terminal).
APMT has not indicated the number of STS cranes it will install in phase 1, or whether it will introduce its Fastnet concept. It is also silent on the number of automated RMGs (ARMGs), but it has stated that there will be 128 storage racks for the Lift AGVs to lift containers on and off.
“The vendor selection of ARMGs and STS cranes is currently ongoing,” said APMT. Based on simulated results for Lift AGV operations and allowing for non-availability of some machines for PM, a fleet of 36 AGVs means eight STS crane booms, which in turn means 16-20 stacks (32-40 ARMGs). 128 storage racks then means there are 6-8 buffer slots per ARMG.
“We have designed the terminal to serve the largest containerships in the world with higher productivity and service level consistency day-in, day-out, while operating in a safe, environment-friendly way,” said Frank Tazelaar, APMT’s Managing Director for Maasvlakte II. “Our estimates show we can deliver 25-50% productivity improvement results for our customers compared to conventional terminal designs.”
A Fastnet system cannot be ruled out of APMT’s thinking at the moment, as most likely the STS cranes at MII will be designed to accommodate ships up to 22,000 TEU. “Studies have been completed on the feasibility of...such ships,” said Halfdan Ross, CEO of APMT’s Crane Engineering Services’ affiliate, speaking at TOC Asia in Hong Kong last week. “With such large cranes there are issues of structural stiffness, weight, visibility and wind load to be taken into account.”
APM TERMINALS, the container port operator unit of Denmark's AP Moller group, is to open a container terminal at Port of Rotterdam's Maasvlakte II area and aims to double productivity when operational in November 2014, building begins in June 2012.The first phase will be able to handle 2.7 million TEU annually through the use of quay cranes and place them on one of 36 lift-automated guided vehicles (Lift AGVs). The 15 metres long and three metres wide Lift AGVs are capable of carrying two containers per move at a speed of 22kph using onboard navigation system to then place them in one or two of the 128 storage racks. The new lift AGVs built by German unit of Demag Crane, Gottwald Port Technology is powered by low-noise diesel-electric motors with feasibility studies in progress for full electric power. The ability for AGVs to place in storage racks for the first time supports the terminal's productivity improvements of 25 to 50 per cent compared to conventional terminal designs, said the company's Maasvlakte II managing director Frank Tazelaar of equipment due for delivery first quarter 2013 for testing.
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