Kocks Ardelt Kranbau will deliver three new rail mounted cranes to British Steel that will operate at the Immingham Bulk Terminal (IBT), UK. The order was confirmed following the successful takeover of the steel manufacturer by Jingye Group.
Jingye Group have a significant investment and growth plan for British Steel and the three new Ardelt cranes will replace the two existing unloaders that have been operating at IBT since the 1970’s. The new Ardelt Tukan K 3000s cranes have a capacity of 50 tonnes in grabbing mode and an operating radius designed for Capesize vessels. The material imported at IBT, iron ore fines and lump material, iron ore pellets and coal, will be handled with a mix of grabs from 13 to 33 cubic metres, with peak handling rates of up to 2,000 tonnes per hour for each crane.
3D image of how the cranes will look at British Steel, IBT.
The unique design of the cranes’ double jib system and integrated hopper, ensures the shortest possible cycle times, whilst giving added flexibility by being able to slew, which is a huge advantage during vessel cleaning, grab changes and maintenance. The Ardelt cranes were selected for the best overall return on investment factoring in design, performance, maintenance and redundancy. The double jib design was invented by Ardelt and is constantly advanced as part of a continual improvement programme. The current cranes are classified for dry bulk handling in the highest possible category.
The performance of the three cranes will ensure a faster through the ship discharge rate and quicker vessel turn-arounds, than the two existing unloaders, whilst giving added redundancy for the operation. The maintenance of the cranes was a significant driver in the selection process; the cranes are all-electric drive, with no hydraulics on board and maintenance intervals are set at 800 – 1,000 hours and can be made simply with a minimum labour requirement; a special feature is the design of the rope system, giving the customer extended lifetime and considerably lower running cost. The cranes will use the latest technical advances in dig depth optimisation, a system designed by Ardelt engineers to ensure continuous peak performance and eliminate inefficiencies during the duty cycle.
The cranes will be assembled in Germany and delivered to IBT fully assembled end of 2021, beginning of 2022, the heavy-lift vessel will lift the cranes off, over the conveyor system and place them on the rails. There will be a short final commissioning and testing phase before they go into full operation.
Source: Kocks Ardelt Cranes