Kalmar will contribute to a project that aims at reducing pollution in ports by integrating three of its terminal tractors with hybrid technology. The two-year project will be undertaken in cooperation with the West Coast Collaborative of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where the terminal tractors will be operated and tested for six months. The green hybrid equipment is expected to reduce air emissions by 93 percent, which equates to 19 tons of nitrogen oxide and 200 pounds of particulate matter.
Kalmar role in the US$1.2 million venture is to help with the selection of the hybrid system and to carry out the research and development associated with integrating the new system into the machines. The hybrid units will use either a hybrid-electric system to combine the cleanest available diesel engine technology with an electric motor, or a hybrid-hydraulic system that combines the cleanest available diesel engine technology with components that use hydraulic fluid compression to store energy.
According to Stefan Johansson, Vice President of Trailer Handling Product Development, many port and distribution customers have recently shown interest in combining terminal tractors with a hybrid engine. He explains:
Our customers are interested in terminal tractors with hybrid systems because the new technology helps reduce fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and maintenance intervals. Strategically, it the right way to go. In the US, fuel is relatively cheap, but most people believe the cost will rise, therefore increasing the need and urgency for alternative methods.
The hybrid technology is expected to reduce or eliminate emissions during idling, which can represent more than 50 percent of the terminal tractor duty cycle. Mr Johansson adds:
As it conserves the energy necessary for breaking, the hybrid system is ideal for a machine like the terminal tractor, which operates in a continuous stop-and-go fashion.
Another advantage of the hybrid technology is that it allows customers to keep their existing operations and maintenance infrastructure. The system runs with a diesel engine so the need for another type of fueling station is unnecessary.
This project by the West Coast Collaborative of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach is part of a greater scheme, the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan. Its objective is to significantly reduce emissions and associated health hazards resulting from port operations in the next five years. With the new hybrid terminal tractor, Kalmar will make an important contribution to the development of green technologies for yard equipment as a whole.
Following requests from its customers concerned over yard trucks’ high emission levels, Kalmar has been working hard since the late 1990s to develop more environmentally friendly terminal tractors. Consequently, Kalmar developed a series of machines that could run on alternative fuels such as CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas).
The expansion of world trade poses a threat to the environment, which is why Kalmar, as an industry innovator, is seeking proactive solutions. The company is committed to expediting the development process as it believes creating sustainable solutions is a serious responsibility. Kalmar intelligent handling solutions will always meet or exceed the toughest global standards on pollution, discharges, noise, safety and the working environment.
By staying at the forefront of development, Kalmar can today offer customers a range of environmentally friendly solutions for container handling. These include:
- Zero emission and all-electric E-One RTG
- All-electric straddle carriers, Edrive
- Electrical and LPG-run forklift trucks between 5 and 9 tonnes
- Terminal tractors that run on CNG, LNG and LPG
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Kalmar has been developing environmentally friendly container handling equipment since the late 1990s. Its ‘green’ range of machines meets or exceeds the toughest global standards on pollution, and includes a terminal tractor that runs on liquefied natural gas.
Kalmar is a global provider of container and heavy duty materials handling equipment, automation applications and related services. It is the world leading supplier of cargo handling equipment to ports, terminals and intermodal facilities. Every fourth container or trailer transfer at terminals around the world is handled by a Kalmar machine. The company also supplies a wide range of machines to demanding industrial customers for applications as diverse as handling steel and paper to shunting road trailers at distribution hubs.
Kalmar is also leading the way in port automation with its application of unmanned container handling technology, on-board smart features and remote maintenance products, developed in co-operation with customers and partners.
Kalmar product range is complemented by a large range of value added services such as maintenance contracts and fleet management.
Production plants are situated in Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Malaysia, China and the USA.
Kalmar net sales were EUR 1,147 million in 2005.
Kalmar is part of Cargotec Corporation, the world leading provider of cargo handling solutions, which are used in local transportation, terminals, ports, distribution centers, and ships. In 2005 Cargotec net sales exceeded EUR 2.3 billion. Cargotec class B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.