Kenyan $23 million order for Kalmar RTGs

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), in Mombasa, Kenya, has placed an order worth € 17 million (US$ 23 million) for 12 Kalmar E-One2 hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTG).

The RTGs have been ordered to help increase the ports cargo handling capacity, which had an estimated annual volume of 1 million TEUs in 2013.

The Kalmar E-One2 hybrid RTG has a lifting capacity of 12 tonnes and provides 6 + 1 wide, 1-over-5 high stacking, the manufacturer said. All twelve machines have been fitted with an automatic gantry steering system and an automatic RTG stack inventory system.

Gichiri Ndua, KPA managing director, said, "The Port of Mombasa is undergoing significant expansion. Productivity, allied to low fuel costs, was therefore a critical factor in the selection process. We have enjoyed a long and close working relationship with the Kalmar team and we welcome the new cranes to join a well-established family of Kalmar equipment, including RTGs, reachstackers and terminal tractors."

Raimo Ukkonen, vice president, RTGs at Kalmar, said, "KPA needed an exceptional solution to help boost productivity whilst reducing lifetime costs of ownership. The Kalmar E-One2 hybrid RTG delivers outstanding performance through its proven reliability. It also boasts the industry's lowest lifetime running costs, consuming up to 50 percent less fuel when compared to conventional RTGs.”

The machines are due for delivery during 2014.