The company said the machines will be part of the first all-electric fleet to go into commercial operation at a port.
Carbon emissions from the straddle carriers will be 54% lower than non-electric models, a figure which will fall further as London Gateway transitions to zero carbon electricity sources.
The straddle carriers are set to enter service next summer when London Gateway’s fourth berth is completed; all major equipment at the terminal is expected to be electric.
Andrew Bowen, UK Chief Operating Officer at DP World, said: “After three years of successful trials at London Gateway in an operational environment, we are delighted to announce that we have placed a £12m order for eight fully electric straddle carriers to service our new fourth berth. This news represents the culmination of four years of work in partnership with Kalmar, with whom we first converted a hybrid straddle carrier into a fully electric machine in 2019.
“These straddle carriers are capable of operating for up to four hours without needing to be recharged and when required the battery can be charged in just 45 minutes.”
Mikko Mononen, Vice President, Sales Management, Horizontal Transportation, at Kalmar, added: “Our new high-energy battery technology has been developed in response to customer demand for a battery-based solution that is more closely aligned with their operating patterns. We have been working with DP World at London Gateway for many years on solutions to help them improve efficiency and reduce the impact of their operations on the environment. The terminal has been piloting a fully electric straddle carrier since 2018, and this project has served to demonstrate that fully electric machines are the optimal next step on the terminal’s decarbonisation journey.”
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