Sennebogens prove their worth at inland port

Written by Marine Log Staff
Sennebogen on dockside

When loading ships, the 860 E Hybrid electric material handler offers top performance due to its high load capacity and 75 ft. (23 m) of reach.

Based in the German inland port of Duisburg, Germany, transshipment and logistics specialist Gesellschaft für Umweltdienste mbH (GUD) offers services that go far beyond those of a traditional cargo handling company.

In 2019 and 2020, GUD redesigned its 800 meter (2,600 foot) unloading dock. It now operates two Sennebogen 860 E Hybrid electric material handlers with 250 kW (340 hp) motors on the dock. With a peak handling capacity of up to 800 tonnes per hour, they demonstrate that electric material handlers are just as powerful as their diesel counterparts.

GUD managing director Andreas Frye says that operation of the two electrically powered Sennebogen 860 E Hybrid material handlers has proven to be “a huge success.”

“No oil changes, fewer components compared to the diesel version and less maintenance required,” says Frye. ”So, the calculation was simple for us: the 860 E electric material handler is always ready to go and, on top of that, it reduces our operating costs by 50%.”

With a total of seven electric Sennebogen material handlers already onsite, GUD was already very familiar with their capabilities. However, there were still options to be explored.

One of the Sennebogens was an older, electrically powered 870 C Series that had been running trouble-free for 12 years and had over 20,000 operating hours on the meter. Frye realized that there was potential to update the operations by adding electrification directly on the dock: “A continuous, cable-connected power supply over 800 meters (2,600 feet), the length of the dock, would be difficult to implement because of that distance; disconnecting from the power source would be unavoidable. The ideal solution for us was to place an additional connection point every 40-50 meters (130-160 feet). To get to the next power source, the 860 pulls a diesel generator, which allows the short distance to be mastered perfectly.”

An 825 D Series from 2016 with just over 7,000 hours has also proven very reliable for GUD and it continues to perform its tasks dependably and quickly.

“We enjoy excellent service from our dealer and the close relationship with Sennebogen is also important to us,” says Frye. “The machines always offer state-of-the-art technology and are not packed with unnecessary electronics: this also means that we can do some service work ourselves. As a result, we manage to keep machine uptime permanently high.”

Today, in addition to classic bulk handling, GUD is also in the rental business.

“In order to make the best possible use of our machines, we provide some of our diesel powered Sennebogen material handlers for use on construction/demolition sites or to other ports,” says Frye. “Not only do we offer equipment but we provide skilled operators, too. Their know-how is even more in demand than ever before, a clear unique selling point, especially during times of a skilled labor shortage.”

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