The Port of Felixstowe (Felixstowe), operated by Hutchison Ports, has ordered 17 Automated Rubber-Tired Gantry Cranes (ARTGs) from Konecranes. The order was booked in Q4 2021. The ARTGs will be delivered and commissioned in a project covering 3 phases starting in Q2 2023. Completion and go-live is scheduled for Q4 2025. The new ARTGs will be fully electric, powered by busbars, and delivered as carbon neutral.

This order marks the first Konecranes ARTGs to be delivered to the United Kingdom, and the first Konecranes ARTGs ordered by Hutchison Ports. To date, it is the largest order of Konecranes ARTGs for a single terminal or project.

The project consists of three phases. The first phase will start in the second quarter of 2023 with the delivery of 6 ARTGs. The remaining ARTGs will be delivered in two batches. By the fourth quarter of 2025, all 17 ARTGs will be handed over. Electrified and automated container movements will help to make Felixstowe’s large container throughput more efficient. They are also part of a major decarbonization investment by Felixstowe, which plays a key role in the British economy and international trade. Felixstowe’s eight existing ARTGs will be integrated with the new Konecranes ARTGs and Remote Operating Stations as part of a single automated system.

The fully electric ARTGs will give a big boost to productivity and decarbonization efforts at Felixstowe, the busiest container port in Britain. Konecranes ARTG technology, introduced in 2013, has been successfully implemented around the world. This case also brings our integration expertise to the fore. “Konecranes will integrate Felixstowe’s existing ARTGs with the Konecranes ARTGs in a harmonized automation platform” says Darryn Scheepers, Sales Manager EMEA, Port Solutions, Konecranes.

The Port of Felixstowe

The automation harmonization will be accomplished by integrating the existing ARTGs with the Konecranes Remote Operating Stations (ROSs) and the Konecranes Crane Task Management System. A Konecranes Crane Adapter Module will adapt the controls to the Konecranes ROS and give the work orders to the existing cranes. A single operator at a Konecranes ROS will be able to remotely handle up to five ARTGs simultaneously across the yard. The Konecranes’ “street bogie” solution will enable fully automated gantry travel, using proven safety technologies for obstacle detection. Konecranes TRUCONNECT^® remote monitoring is included, providing remote crane diagnostics.

Hutchison Ports has a network of 48 container ports around the world, including the Port of Felixstowe, on the east coast of England. With many shipping routes to Europe and beyond, it's the busiest container port in Britain, handling more than 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) per year.

This project with Felixstowe is an excellent example of Konecranes’ path to port automation, where container terminals improve productivity and safety in manageable steps. From smart features up to full automation, the path can include supervised operation and remote operation to smoothly introduce the power of automation.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2020, Group sales totaled EUR 3.2 billion. The Group has around 16,500 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).

Konecranes is partnering with Pesmel to supply automated warehouse container handling technology that revolutionizes material handling in logistics hubs and distribution centers. Konecranes and Pesmel signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 25^th November 2021, to provide the globally available new solution under the Konecranes brand.

The solution will handle containers fully automatically in a high-bay warehouse, where they are stacked up to 14 high. This reduces the space needed for containers by up to 80%. Automated container tracking is part of a management system that can be integrated easily with the facility’s overall logistics management system.

Tero Vallas, Business Development Manager, Konecranes Port Solutions, said: “Many logistics operations and distribution centers are faced with handling a large number of incoming and outgoing containers, with great operational complexity and an increasing scarcity of land. Now, from Konecranes and Pesmel, warehouse container handling solutions are available that will impose order on the container chaos while eliminating the complexity, improving throughput, and also greatly reducing the space needed for containers in logistics hubs and distribution centers.”

Container shipping is expected to grow in the future, both in volume and speed. The better containers are handled at logistics hubs and distribution centers, the better their customers will be served, in ways that give decisive competitive advantage. Konecranes and Pesmel are here to give that advantage.

“Partnering with Konecranes is a great opportunity for Pesmel to bring our high-bay warehouse technology into a ­­­new business area,” said Tony Leikas, CEO, Pesmel.

About Pesmel

Pesmel is the Material Flow How^® company. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Finland, Pesmel has more than 40 years of experience in delivering solutions that improve material flows and logistics at different types of warehousing and manufacturing facilities. Pesmel focuses on serving customers around the world in the pulp and paper, metals and tire manufacturing industries.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

About Konecranes

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2020, Group sales totaled EUR 3.2 billion. The Group has around 16,500 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).

Outokumpu signs a new deal on three cargo vessels with Langh Ship to reduce CO₂ emissions in transports

Outokumpu has agreed with its long-term transport partner, Finnish shipping company Langh Ship to replace the current three cargo vessels with new ships. The ships transport our coils from our mill in Tornio, Finland to our European hub in Terneuzen, the Netherlands, and return back to Tornio loaded with recycled steel, our main raw material. The first new ship will be taken into use in 2023.

The new vessels by Langh Ship are designed to meet Outokumpu’s ambitious sustainability targets in minimizing emissions and to comply with upcoming environmental regulation. The design has been developed in close cooperation between Outokumpu and Langh Ship. 

Outokumpu’s long-term climate target is to reduce its direct and indirect CO₂ emissions as well as those of its supply chain (scopes 1, 2 and 3) to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Outokumpu has this year committed to a more stringent climate target by the Science Based Targets initiative to keep the global warming below 1.5 degrees. To this end, Outokumpu will further reduce its CO₂ emissions by 2030, approximately by 30% compared to 2020. In the beginning, the ships run on liquefied natural gas, but that can be directly changed to liquefied biogas without any changes.

“The route between Tornio and Terneuzen is of utmost importance to us in transporting coils to the European market and in bringing recycled steel to our melt shop in Tornio,” says Jyrki Sandelin, Category Manager for transports at Outokumpu. “With these three new vessels, we can reduce the CO₂ emissions by 40% compared to the previous vessels.”

Our cargo ships take a one tour between Tornio and Terneuzen in two weeks and they transport some 1.6 million tonnes of cargo each year. With the new vessels, the capacity of each vessel rises to 7,250 tonnes from the current 6,000 tonnes, increasing the capacity of our transport ships by 100,000 tonnes. Our vessels transport nearly half of the recycled steel used in Tornio.

Outokumpu Group

Outokumpu is the global leader in stainless steel. The foundation of our business is our ability to tailor stainless steel into any form and for almost any purpose. Stainless steel is sustainable, durable and designed to last forever. Our customers use it to create civilization’s basic structures and its most famous landmarks as well as products for households and various industries. Outokumpu employs some 9,500 professionals in more than 30 countries, with headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and shares listed in Nasdaq Helsinki. www.outokumpu.com

In 1992 the ambitious Van Seumeren company purchased four Demag CC4800 cranes. This was a bold move because the 800t CC4800 was one of the world’s biggest models of crane at that time, and the business had not yet undergone the merger that transformed it into the global leader we know today.

But the purchase proved to be a wise one, and the four cranes went on to play a crucial role in the economic development of countries and industries around the world for the next three decades – supporting the rapid, successful growth of Mammoet in the process. We follow one of these cranes to explore some of its more remarkable lifts and how it is still proving invaluable for its new owners today.

In demand
 
Dirk Knoester, Senior Advisor at Mammoet, remembers when the CC4800 first arrived:
 
“The purchase of the CC4800 was a brave move for the business, as at the time we still mainly worked in the Netherlands and nearby European countries. In those days a crane with 800t capacity was not as common as it is today; it was a special piece of equipment. 
 
Fortunately, we recognized that there was growing demand for bigger lifts to keep the crane busy, particularly in developing nations where the energy industry was expanding. In hindsight, the CC4800 really helped to announce the company on a global scale.”
 
This meant that the CC4800 was soon working across the globe, primarily on a range of major oil and gas projects. A key appeal was that the crane required relatively little space in which to operate, could be relocated on its tracks and drive with its load.
 
Amongst its early projects was Exxon’s Srirarcha Expansion Project in Thailand, where it lifted a range of large modules from a single position – helping to minimize the project’s construction time. In the early 1990s it was used alongside another CC4800 to perform the tandem lift of an 800t reactor in Venezuela; at the time a record for South America.
 
Wherever the crane travelled, so did its specialist crew:
 
“Because the capacity of the CC4800 was so rare, there was demand for it all over the world. Today, there are cranes with the same capacity in many more countries in order to avoid the time and expense of shipping such a big piece of equipment. That was simply not the case in the 1990s.
 
This meant that crews travelled across the world with the CC4800, from Canada and South America to the Middle East and throughout Asia. As well as seeing different countries, it was extremely satisfying work - performing big lifts that helped to make large-scale projects like refinery expansions and steel mill builds more efficient.”

Pushing through the 1,000t barrier
 
As lifting bigger leads to more efficient project schedules, demand for the crane grew. So much so, that by the mid-1990s even greater capacity was needed to accommodate the emerging trend for modularization.
 
This led Mammoet to look beyond the crawler crane format, into how the CC4800 could be upgraded for use as a ring crane with a capacity of over 1,440t – unlocking a new level of work for the business, and more efficient methodologies for the client.
 
Although modularized construction is now widespread in the oil and gas industry, this was not always the case. Cranes such as the newly upgraded CC4800 Twin Ring provided the critical lifting capacity to support this new methodology, and the efficiency gains it could support.
 
Furthermore, the crane could be used in both crawler and ring configuration on a project to provide greater lifting options without the need for two cranes on site. So, the new crane could lift ultra-heavy loads in ring configuration, but still travel around site while lifting smaller loads, thanks to its crawlers.
 
This was the case during work for Foster Wheeler at Exxon’s Rotterdam facility. This project involved the lifting of seven items, including two columns weighing 606t and 759t, in Twin Ring configuration, and then further smaller lifts in its standard crawler crane format.
 
Project Managers that worked with the crane remember the advantages of working with this now traditional piece of equipment:
 
“We used to joke that all you really needed to make running repairs and fixes to the CC4800 was a screwdriver and a hammer! This was a huge help when we were working out in remote locations such as Venezuela or Trinidad, where we would need to wait days if an engineer had to be flown in. Instead we were able to deal with many problems ourselves, keeping the project on track.”
 
“Although the CC4800 was not easy to move – its crawlers weighed upwards of 90t each – it was a strong and reliable crane. It was dependable when we needed it to be, in part because so much of the assembly was done by hand – we would knock the boom pins in with sledgehammers, which isn’t something you see nowadays!”
 
A varied career
 
Whilst the majority of the CC4800’s work has been in the oil and gas sector, it has had an interesting working life beyond that industry. Dirk Knoester continues:
 
“The CC4800 has been involved with a wide variety of different projects. This has included helping to move a steel mill from Germany to India, and a number of high-profile stadium builds. In 2006 it proved critical in building China’s centerpiece Beijing National Stadium, the ‘Bird’s Nest’, for the 2008 Olympic Games.”
 
Shortly after this project, following over 20 years of service with Mammoet, the CC4800 found a new home with Shepherd Offshore in the UK. Here it is located on the quayside of Shepherd’s Newcastle upon Tyne facility where it undertakes ship-to-shore lifts and can use its crawler capabilities to move across the quay as required.
 
Terry Hall, Assistant General Manager at Shepherd Offshore comments:
 
“One of Shepherd Offshore’s main objectives is responsible and sustainable regeneration; we bring value to a site or location and then in turn the wider community benefits. The CC4800 has helped increase the level of services that we can offer clients which results in more business for the local region.
 
Between 2016 and 2017, the CC4800 hit a Shepherd Offshore record in assisting 133 heavy reel transfers between Offshore Technology Park and Neptune Energy Park in Newcastle upon Tyne. Since 2018, Shepherd Offshore has had over 70 vessels berthed at Neptune Energy Park where the CC4800 crane is based.
 
During this time, it has handled a wide variety of loading and discharging projects and has successfully handled over 50,000 combined tonnes to and from vessels. It follows that our CC4800 crane has been an invaluable cog in the Shepherd Offshore machine and a lynchpin of our Neptune Energy Park operations.
 
The CC4800 operations have been so successful that we have recently constructed even more quay space, to allow increased movements. Further, we have recently transformed our dry dock into a maritime test tank. Here, the CC4800 is crucial in providing heavy and movable lifts.
 
Shepherd Offshore is working with several partners at Neptune Energy Park, where our expertise allows us to deliver the best and most cost-effective possible solutions. The CC4800 fits this objective, adding to our proven track record and capabilities. We envision continuing to work with Mammoet and further developing this harmonious relationship.”
 
The durability of the CC4800 has again proven to be a benefit, as more recently Mammoet was able to supply Shepherd with parts to make essential repairs to the crane and keep it running. Julian Alkemade of Mammoet Used Equipment, comments:
 
“We were delighted to help find the CC4800 a new home when it had reached the end of its working life here at Mammoet. Equipment maintenance is key to how we operate, which means we can be confident that assets meet the most demanding requirements and standards.
 
As a global business with an extensive equipment inventory, we frequently have high quality assets available for purchase - such as cranes, prime movers and SPMTs. The Mammoet Used Equipment platform creates value for our customers, offering equipment that is reliably well-maintained according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
 
This equipment is available throughout the world, at a price that is affordable to most local crane and heavy lift suppliers. Even when cranes have been in service with Mammoet for decades – like this CC4800 – our customers can rely on the quality of the equipment they receive”.
 
To view current stock available from Mammoet Used Equipment – including all terrain cranes, city cranes, crawler cranes, trucks, trailers, SPMTs and other auxiliary lifting systems - please visit usedequipment.mammoet.com.

Mammoet
Mammoet helps clients with Smarter, Safer and Stronger solutions to any heavy lifting or transport challenge. We aim to develop long term relationships in order to understand their businesses and challenges best, so we can realize the most efficient and cost-effective approaches. We have a unique global network and an unparalleled fleet of equipment. Through deep and longstanding engineering expertise and the highest quality and safety standards in execution we bring an intelligent and flexible approach to projects across a wide breadth of industry sectors. Clients trust us to help them achieve feats that were once considered impossible, and we have often broken records in doing so.

For more information, visit www.mammoet.com

Eurotransit Group of Companies (Eurotransit) in Kazakhstan has ordered two Konecranes Rail-Mounted Gantry (RMG) cranes for its new intermodal terminal under construction in Dostyk, near the border with China. The order was booked in August 2021 and the cranes will be delivered in Q4 2022.  

In addition to the intermodal terminal under construction, Eurotransit operates a terminal in Altynkol, Kazakhstan. The two Konecranes RMGs on order will transship containers on trains running between Kazakhstan and China.

Mr Erlan Dikhanbaev, Director of Eurotransit, said: “The Konecranes RMGs are central to our ambitious growth plans. We have very demanding environmental requirements – we often have to deal with strong winds and very low temperatures. We also had very demanding requirements for container handling productivity and reliability. Konecranes convinced us with their reliable technology and service support.”

The Konecranes RMGs on order will have a railspan of 32 m and will serve 6 train tracks, lifting containers 1-over-2. They will be equipped with an intuitive GUI, with extra visibility provided by video cameras on the spreader and under the trolley. They will also be equipped with the Konecranes DGPS Skew Control System, and the smart features Auto-positioning and Auto-TOS Reporting.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2020, Group sales totaled EUR 3.2 billion. The Group has around 16,500 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).

www.konecranes.com

Crowley’s ship assist and escort services group has agreed to charter its third Tier IV ship assist tug, Athena.

Athena meets U.S. EPA Tier IV requirements for emissions control technology. The vessel will be equipped with remote monitoring for the improved efficiency of vessel operations and data exchange to further the company’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its fleet. 

“Athena will provide innovation and performance for customers in the Pacific Northwest,” said Paul Manzi, vice president, Crowley Shipping. “The first two tugs produced by Diversified Marine and Brusco Tug & Barge have delivered high value and performance to our fleet. They provide a remarkable amount of power in a small footprint while reducing fuel burn and qualifying for Tier IV emissions performance rating.”

Athena follows sister ships Hercules and Apollo from builder Diversified Marine and owner Brusco Tug & Barge. The 77-foot Athena will feature almost 400 more horsepower than Apollo to deliver a bollard pull up to 96 tons, making it the most powerful tug for its size in the U.S.  

“Athena is going to be a head-turner in the industry,” said Frank Manning, director of business development at Diversified Marine. “We’re proud of the incredible Hercules Class vessels our partnership with Brusco and Crowley has produced. We’ve worked closely with Crowley to incorporate operator feedback into each build while increasing horsepower on each tug. Athena will be an excellent boat, and we’re excited to see it working for a forward-thinking company like Crowley.”

Slated to operate in Puget Sound, Athena is currently under construction and is expected to be complete at the close of 2021.

About Crowley

Crowley Maritime Corporation is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with more than $2.5 billion in annual revenues, over 160 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 6,300 employees around the world – employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy. As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with nearly 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 35 nations and island territories through four business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Solutions and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at www.crowley.com.

Leading North American terminal operator LOGISTEC USA Inc. (LOGISTEC) has ordered two new eco-efficient Generation 6 Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes for their terminal at the Port of Manatee in Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. The order, booked in August, will be handed over by February 2022.

LOGISTEC operates 80 terminals in 54 ports across North America. The company handles all kinds of cargo, and their terminal at the Port of Manatee deals mostly with containers, pallets, steel and break-bulk. In the light of their continued commitment to the port, they are anticipating increasing levels of container traffic.

“With the arrival of our two new electric drive cranes from industry-leader Konecranes, we will be serving our customers in an eco-friendly way. These new additions to our fleet of cargo handling equipment are well aligned with our focus on reducing our marine carbon footprint in support of our Green Marine initiatives. This is great news for our customers, our community and the environment in Port Manatee,” said Rodney Corrigan, President of LOGISTEC USA Inc.

“2021 marks 50 years of Konecranes presence in the Americas, and this order from LOGISTEC is a good illustration of the strength of our long-term partnerships in the region,” says Alan Garcia, Sales Manager, Port Solutions, Region Americas for Konecranes. “The order also shows clearly that our new Generation 6 cranes are living up to their potential in the market, offering high performance and reliability while lowering fuel costs and reducing emissions.”

The two new Generation 6 cranes will be Konecranes Gottwald ESP.7 Mobile Harbor Cranes, with a working radius of up to 51 m and a lifting capacity of 125 t. These cranes are the natural successors of the two Generation 5 cranes already on-site. They feature a higher tower cab for a better view of the vessels in port and stronger lifting capacity curves for improved handling performance and a higher classification, which doubles their service life in container handling operations. Their on-board drive follows the strict EPA Tier 4 final standards. It’s a smart hybrid drive combining a diesel engine with optimized fuel consumption and an ultracap. This allows for both eco-efficient operation and peak performance when necessary.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2020, Group sales totaled EUR 3.2 billion. The Group has around 16,500 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).

No queuing at busy pick-up points – starting from November, an electric robot will be operating in Hyväntoivonpuisto in Jätkäsaari, Helsinki, providing an easy way for residents to pick up their packages.

The increase in the population of the Jätkäsaari district of Helsinki, Finland creates additional needs for urban logistics. With the growth of e-commerce, logistics companies are also in need of new solutions for easier deliveries. The delivery of DB Schenker packages to customers will be tested in the Hyväntoivonpuisto area of Jätkäsaari with the help of an autonomously moving, electric delivery robot. This pilot will start in Jätkäsaari on the 2nd of November, 2021 and continue until the 10th of December, 2021.

“Last mile deliveries in particular can be challenging in cities. The pilot is based on the desire to determine how an autonomous delivery robot could help with this challenge,” says Project Planner Matias Oikari from Forum Virium Helsinki.
 
The participants in the pilot include the startup company LMAD, which is in charge of operating the delivery robot; GIM Robotics; the City of Helsinki’s innovation company Forum Virium Helsinki; and DB Schenker, which will use the delivery robot as its pick-up point.

A delivery robot can serve as an additional solution in urban areas

“DB Schenker is actively involved in the innovation of the logistics industry. In Finland, we have developed package pick-up points in particular to facilitate smooth flows of goods to various residential environments. We study the use of delivery robots as one pick-up point solution for densely populated urban areas,” says Antti Jarva, who is in charge of DB Schenker’s package business in Finland.

The startup company LMAD is in charge of operating the robot. “For us, this is an excellent opportunity to test an autonomous delivery service with the residents of Jätkäsaari. We want to learn how our solution brings additional value to both residents and our partner, DB Schenker. Our aim is to offer a service that is a convenient, flexible and environmentally friendly option while simultaneously reducing logistics costs,” says Co-founder, Product Lead Gergely Horváth from LMAD.
 
The Jätkäsaari delivery robot pilot is a part of the Last Mile Autonomous Delivery innovation project funded by EIT Digital. This project aims to develop and bring to the market a software platform for controlling, managing and optimising autonomously moving delivery robots. LMAD is the spin-off company created in the project to commercialise the results and operate the platform and the robots.

Safety is taken into account

The delivery robot stops at several locations in Hyväntoivonpuisto for the pickup of packages. The robot moves at walking speed along pavements. During the pilot, it is accompanied by an operator who monitors the robot and simultaneously ensures safe mobility. The robot is equipped with sensors implemented with lidar technology, which continuously observe the surroundings. The robot stops immediately when there is an obstacle in its path.

Picking up a package from the delivery robot resembles picking up a package from the parcel lockers found in public spaces: the pin code needed to open the locker is sent to the recipient by text message, and the recipient enters it into the robot.
 
The robot is roughly 1.5 metres tall and features 13 lockers, the smallest of which is 10 cm x 44 cm x 53 cm in size, while the largest lockers are roughly the size of a carry-on bag. The robot delivers packages once a day in the Hyväntoivonpuisto area.

How to pick up a package from the delivery robot in Hyväntoivonpuisto:

1. When placing an order, select delivery by DB Schenker and the LMAD robot from the list of options.
2. Shortly before delivery, you will receive a link that allows you to select the exact place and time of delivery.
3. You will receive a notification when the robot is in the selected location at the time agreed upon. The robot will stop at the location for at least 30 minutes. If you miss this time window, you can still easily pick up your package, as the locations at which the robot stops in the Hyväntoivonpuisto area during the pilot are located near each other. If you do not pick up your package from the robot, you can pick it up later at the R-kioski on Välimerenkatu.
4. The notification sent to you will include a pin code for opening the locker and picking up your package from inside the robot.

Further information:
 
Matias Oikari
Project Planner
Forum Virium Helsinki
tel. +358 40 664 8877, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Tony Koljonen
Development Manager, e-Com
DB Schenker
tel. +358 50 406 5760, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
Gergely Horváth
Co-founder, Product Lead
LMAD - Last Mile Autonomous Delivery
tel. +358 50 338 4244, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

NEMPORT LÌMAN ÌŞLETMELERI (Nemport) in Izmir, Turkey, has ordered 10 Konecranes Noell Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes to handle growing container traffic. The order was booked in July and the cranes will be delivered in October 2022.

Nemport said: “Nemport is experiencing growing container traffic. We are building a new container yard and a new berth for mega container vessels, and the new RTGs will be fundamental to its productivity. As usual, Konecranes was very proactive in providing the solution, carefully evaluated by Nemport. We are confident that the Konecranes Noell RTGs will give us the performance and reliability we need. From the beginning, we have been operating Konecranes RTGs and Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes with great success.”

Nemport terminal

Adel Issa, Sales Manager Region EMEA, Konecranes Port Cranes, said: “Konecranes is committed to meeting Nemport’s needs in every way. We are a good fit with Nemport’s entrepreneurial spirit. The Konecranes Noell RTGs on order will help Nemport to expertly serve its customers as the growing trade gateway of the Aegean region.”  

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a lifting industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.

Konecranes is a world-leading group of Lifting Businesses™, serving a broad range of customers, including manufacturing and process industries, shipyards, ports and terminals. Konecranes provides productivity enhancing lifting solutions as well as services for lifting equipment of all makes. In 2020, Group sales totaled EUR 3.2 billion. The Group has around 16,500 employees in 50 countries. Konecranes shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki (symbol: KCR).

More needs to be done to keep experienced truck drivers behind the wheel and help address the current shortage – with more respect and improved conditions top of the list.

Initial findings from a survey which commenced in August for Pertemps Driving Division, part of the Pertemps Network Group, showed 91 per cent of truckers believe they do not get enough respect for the job they do.

Many qualified and experienced drivers have left or are planning to leave their roles because they are fed up with the way they are treated, often at point of drop-off for customers and the general public.

Samantha Leleu, General Manager at Pertemps Driving Division, which has been offering free LGV training to entice new people into the sector, believes it is only by treating experienced drivers with more respect that the brakes can be put on the skills drain and the economy can begin to get back on the right road.

“There is a known driver shortage, and the noise has mostly been about attracting new talent to the sector – but what about those experienced drivers who have just had enough of difficult working conditions, and disrespect from customers and the public? They deserve better and it is the least we, as employers, can do to try and help as the UK seeks to address a shortage of 100,000 HGV drivers,” said Samantha.

“We have surveyed more than 2,500 drivers in the last couple of months and the initial results show that 91 per cent of existing lorry drivers feel they are treated with disrespect. In addition, 69 per cent do not think working conditions are good – and it is the more experienced truckers more likely to be disillusioned with their roles. 

“Some people may point to the fact that pay rates have gone up significantly recently, but that does not compensate for years of being underpaid a decent going rate and treated ‘like a nuisance’ when making deliveries.

“We, the great British public, have to get a handle on this to keep these good people in the sector as everything we touch has been delivered on the back of a lorry, while we get the talent pipeline moving again for those looking to train to be lorry drivers.

“Things need to change and with the spotlight currently firmly on the sector, and people starting to see the importance of our lorry drivers to their everyday lives, we hope both customers and the general public will better consider how they treat these essential workers.”

Pertemps Driving Division has had to temporarily close its free training offer to new applications after more than 10,000 people applied in six weeks. The business is now working its way through the candidates to take forward all those that it can. However, tests are ultimately carried out at a pace set by the DVSA and a lack of test availability means there is lengthy tailback of waiting applicants.

Once qualified, the drivers are found roles with clients across the UK through Warwickshire-based Pertemps Network Group, one of the country’s leading specialist driver recruitment businesses.

Initial top line finds from two questions in survey of more than 2,500 truck drivers in the UK during August and September 2021:

“General public don’t respect the role of truckers enough”

• 91% agree (69% agree strongly)
• Most likely to agree strongly – drivers with the longest experience (over 20 years – 74%), and 75% of those who think it unlikely they’ll still be driving in 3 years’ time

 “Working conditions in the industry are good”

• Just 17% agree; 69% disagree (37% disagree strongly)
• Most likely to disagree strongly – 11+ years’ experience (41%), owner drivers (43%) and directly employed (37%) vs 33% of agency drivers, 56% of those unlikely still to be driving in 3 years’ time

Full survey results will be published at a later date.