By the end of the year, HHLA TK Estonia will see the deployment of a pair of Konecranes' 296kWh rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes in its container terminal in the Port of Tallinn's Muuga Harbour.

The battery system will make it possible to operate the 1-over-5 six-lane RTGs for up to eight hours off-the-grid. An integrated 25-meter busbar charging system will supply the energy.

"Our terminal in Muuga follows a long-term sustainability strategy that we are implementing step by step. This investment marks an important milestone in the development of battery-powered equipment at European container terminals and supports our efforts to modernise operations while further reducing emissions," commented Riia Sillave, CEO, HHLA TK Estonia.

The company's Technology and Infrastructure Manager, Tanel Ringo, added, "Renewing our container yard RTG fleet [two other Konecranes] with these Europe-first Konecranes battery-electric RTGs allows us to further modernise our yard while maintaining operational consistency across the fleet, which already includes several equipment from the supplier. Having the manufacturer's engineering and production located in the same northern climate region is also beneficial when developing equipment for our operating conditions."

Philipp Reiter, Regional Sales Manager EMEA, Port Solutions, Konecranes, also shared, "Close collaboration with a partner just across the Gulf of Finland enables us to move development initiatives quickly into real-world yard performance. This order demonstrates how battery technology is shifting from being a mitigation solution to providing power for full-scale operational use in container terminals."