E-Cranes in Coal Handling
With multiple successful operations throughout the world, E-Crane has proven to be a trusted, all-in-one solution for the coal handling industry. E-Crane has been the ideal solution at many ports and terminals for barge loading and unloading, ship loading and unloading, and stockpiling. While each project is different, the modular and flexible design of the E-Crane makes it ideal for any coal handling operation.
USA Operations
The history of E-Cranes in the coal handling industry began in Ruhr area in Germany around 30 years ago, but really took off in the United States market. The E-Crane product was brought to the USA in the late 90’s. Since then, the majority of the E-Cranes installed in the USA were utilized for bulk material handling operations along the inland waterways with coal as the primary commodity to be unloaded.
The US inland waterways are one of the most populated areas for E-Cranes, as there are many different ports and stevedoring facilities that require a high production, reliable machine. Within the US bulk handling market, many of E-Crane’s major clients are within the power generating sector. E-Crane is the ideal solution for power plants because of the versatility to handle both the fuel for the plant as well as the other materials needed for the quality control process. One of the largest customers in the power industry is American Electric Power. AEP owns several cranes which operate along the Ohio river at their plants.
Along with power generation, terminal management firms like Kinder Morgan have also realized the advantages of E-Crane. Two E-Cranes currently operate at Kinder Morgan IMT in Port Sulphur, LA, USA, cleaning coal barges along the Mississippi River. Beelman River Terminals also utilizes an E-Crane to unload and clean coal barges at their facility near St. Louis, MO.
E-Crane continues to be successful with many bulk unloading projects along the US inland waterways and beyond.
Successes in the Asian Market
Recently, E-Crane has been a part of several coal handling projects in the Asia, particularly in Indonesia & Vietnam, where E-Cranes are successfully used in all stages of the coal supply chain.
Close to the coal mine in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia E-Crane has supplied a floating transfer station which unloads coal from smaller barges and transfers it into 300ft coal barges. In the next step of the supply chain E-Cranes are used to unload these same barges into hoppers for storage and blending at a dedicated coal terminal. In the final step of the process, a floating E-Crane is used to load coal into Capesize vessels.
On the receiving side, multiple E-Cranes are used in cement plants in SEA to unload coal.
About the E-Crane
E-Cranes provide longer outreach ranges than typical material handlers, up to 47.8m (156’). This outreach allows for unloading any type of barge or ship with minimum cleanup. E-Crane duty cycle capacity ranges from 6 to 50 metric tons (6.6 to 55 US tons). Although E-Cranes are compatible with any type of grab, E-Crane’s clamshell buckets are designed with a powerful closing force affording maximum fill and eliminating spills and carry-back. E-Crane cabs are equipped with a state-of-the-art control system for easy machine operation which builds operator confidence, reduces, cycle times, and maximizes productivity.
