Hybrid Sennebogen Crane Goes To Work At Belgian Port

A hybrid Sennebogen crane has been selected to improve safety in one of Belgium’s busiest ports.

DD Shipping NV, a member of the Square Group, is a stevedoring company for dried bulk goods and general cargo. It manages two key terminals along the Brussels-Scheld Maritime Canal, a hub for inland shipping routes in Belgium. Recently, the company chose Sennebogen’s 870 Hybrid E-Series material handler on a crawler gantry for loading and unloading heavy cargo and bulk materials, Sennebogen announced.

The crane will soon be put into operation as part of the recent opening of a second dock at DD Shipping NV’s Puurs facility at the sea lock of Wintam, located between Antwerp and Brussels.

“While weighing our options, we decided on a maneuverable version of the material handler so we can use it interchangeably on both our docks in the future to expand our business,” Geert Keeris, managing director of DD Shipping, said.

Keeris said the sales process was key.

“It was truly a collaboration,” he said. “They listened to our needs, our goals and strategy, which led to the final decision of our investment in a Sennebogen machine. With the 870 E, we now have a stable, mobile machine with a large handling capacity, which is both comfortable and ergonomically designed for the operator.”

With a clearance height of around 16 feet (5 meters), trucks can easily pass directly underneath the machine to be loaded, which is a massive time-saver, according to DD Shipping. Additionally, on-site storage spaces are no longer needed as loading/unloading turnaround times of ships have been dramatically reduced, making intermediate transports obsolete. The Maxcab can be raised up to 23 feet (7 meters) for a total of almost 40 feet (12 meters), which allows the operator to enjoy an unrestricted 360-degree visibility. There is also an additional camera mounted on the stick, allowing the operator to be precise while working inside the ship’s hull.

Another factor in DD Shipping NV choosing Sennebogen was the ability of their port material handlers to be equipped with a special boom and stick to achieve even higher handling capacities. The specially designed 82 foot (25 meter) combination is made of robust, high-strength steel, enabling lightweight construction while simultaneously allowing more load capacity due to the weight savings. As the Belgian port specialists have to process different types of material, the special configuration pays major dividends when loading heavy break-bulk.

“Our ship today contains 2,162 steel wire coils,” Keeris said. “At peak times, we are able to unload up to 160 coils per hour with our Sennebogen.”

Keeris also noted the importance of the Sennebogen Green Hybrid System.

“In this demanding work environment, it is important for us to save energy in the process, making it one of the other key reasons we chose the Sennebogen 870 Hybrid,” he said. “We are simply trying to follow a ‘green’ line.”

Sennebogen is a leader in advanced energy recovery technology on the market. It uses an energy storage module consisting of nitrogen and piston accumulators located in the secure, enclosed rear area of the machine. There, gas is compressed when the boom is lowered. At this point, the compressed gas (and ultimately the energy) is temporarily stored and is available during the next stroke. The resulting stored power energy output compensates for the mass of the boom and raises it without requiring any further energy input. Depending on the task to be performed, the Green Hybrid module can save up to 50 percent energy, a major advantage in the highly competitive port business.

Caption for photo: DD Shipping NV recently chose a Sennebogen 870 Hybrid E-Series material handler on a crawler crane for its newly opened second dock at its Puurs facility, between Antwerp and Brussels in Belgium.