Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), part of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), has deployed four new Kalmar hybrid automatic container carriers (ACC) at the Port of Melbourne.
The carriers arrived after commissioning and operational integration over the past several weeks, with Kalmar executives attending a handover ceremony on May 26.
Four Kalmar hybrid ACCs join VICT’s automated operations
VICT has fully automated operations at the Port of Melbourne, and the four new hybrid ACCs were deployed following successful commissioning and operational integration over the past several weeks.
Sami Niiranen, Kalmar president and chief executive officer, attended the May 26 handover ceremony, which also included VICT management and operations personnel.
Expansion target: over 1.6 million TEUs
The ACC rollout is part of VICT’s expansion program, which is aimed at increasing annual capacity to over 1.6 million TEUs.
The same expansion program is intended to support more efficient and sustainable terminal operations.
Hybrid lifting and battery energy recovery
Kalmar designed the ACCs to increase productivity by minimizing loading times, with VICT and Kalmar working together on custom upgrades targeting improved efficiency levels.
The hybrid ACCs feature twin-box lifting capability of up to 60 tons and use lithium-ion battery systems that enable energy recovery during operations.
Kalmar says the lithium-ion battery systems translate to a 40% increase in energy efficiency and a reduction in carbon emissions of up to 50 tons per unit annually.
Kalmar and VICT tie the rollout to productivity and automation
Kalmar highlighted collaboration and innovation as important for meeting the evolving needs of modern container terminals.
Kalmar has been supporting VICT since the start of terminal operations in 2017, and VICT describes the equipment rollout as another milestone in efforts to enhance productivity and cater to global trade requirements.
VICT also positions itself as the only fully automated container terminal in the southern hemisphere.