Efficient and sustainable operations
Stadtwerke Andernach GmbH operates local municipal utilities, including the Port of Andernach, an inland river facility that has grown into a major transshipment hub in central Germany. Located in the west on the Middle Rhine, the port offers expert container handling for connections to a range of destinations both inside and outside Germany.
Trimodal (ship, train and truck) services provided by Andenach include picking, distribution, unloading and storage. To maintain the tight scheduling required by modern logistics, they need reliable equipment that can deliver speed and precision with low operating costs, maximum uptime and minimal emissions.
When looking for their next investment in container handling equipment, Andernach held a Europe-wide tender to find the best machines available on the market. They chose three Konecranes SMV 4632 TC5 reach stackers equipped with Flow Drive, an innovative solution using a hydromechanical variable transmission (HVT) to limit power at low speed, reducing wear and carbon emissions while cutting fuel consumption by up to 25%. These reach stackers are robust machines with a load capacity of 46 tons that can stack up to five full containers high. They utilize central greasing to minimize maintenance and downtime, and a range of safety features such as a reverse camera, auto engine shutdown and tire pressure monitoring. TRUCONNECT® collects telematics data in real time to help optimize fuel consumption, tailpipe emissions and usage across the entire fleet.
“We’re working hard to make our services more sustainable, and the Konecranes Flow Drive reach stackers have become a key part of this goal at the port. With greater intervals between refueling, we’ve increased our productivity while significantly cutting our fuel costs. The telematics data shows that our fuel consumption has dropped by about 25%, just as expected,” says Wojtek Kozbial, Rhine Port Project Manager, Stadtwerke Andernach.
New technology opens environmental benefits
Konecranes Flow Drive is part of Ecolifting, a series of innovative Konecranes solutions specially designed to decrease fuel consumption and on-site emissions while simultaneously improving performance. Andernach’s Konecranes Flow Drive lift trucks send their operational data to the online customer portal yourKONECRANES in near real time, where they can monitor efficiency through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as operating hours, fuel consumption and asset utilization. This makes it easier to deploy their trucks to the busiest locations in the port and plan a timely maintenance schedule. The Flow Drive reach stackers have clearly shown lower emissions, less downtime and reduced fuel consumption. Modern technology has simplified fleet management and operational sustainability.
Today they operate 3 reach stackers with Flow Drive from Konecranes,” says Ralf Gowin, Regional Sales Manager, Lift Trucks, Konecranes. “In cooperation with trusted local distributor Jungbluth, we’re pleased to be able to offer the technology and expertise that can help to rapidly advance their material handling goals.”
