Port Nelson welcomes electric crane

Port Nelson has introduced the country’s first electric dual-drive harbour crane for cargo handling.

The $17 million electric dual-drive mobile Liebherr crane received $500,000 in contestable co-funding from the Government’s Low Emission Transport Fund, administered by the the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

Standing at 52.8 meters and weighing around 640 tonnes, the crane has a reach of 13 to 61 meters and has a lifespan of 15 years.

It can switch to diesel when necessary and can perform comparably to traditional diesel-driven cranes but with substantial benefits in efficiency, emissions, and noise reduction.

Alongside the new addition, Port Nelson is retrofitting one of its existing diesel cranes with an electric motor with support from EECA, which provided additional co-funding of $375K towards the conversion.

EECA delivery and partnerships group manager Richard Briggs says the project will demonstrate to other New Zealand ports how a critical piece of equipment can be electrified.

“As the country’s first electric dual-drive harbour crane, showing how it can be integrated into daily operations will give confidence to the wider industry to consider adopting similar technology as part of overall goals to improve energy efficiency, increase productivity, and ultimately save on operating costs.”

With cranes accounting for around 22% of Port Nelson’s Scope 1 emissions, the electric machine is set to make a meaningful contribution to the port’s emissions reduction targets.

It is expected to operate in electric mode for up to 85% of the time and is also expected to help lower the port’s operating costs.