Kalmar straddle carriers help transform Le Havre into a major French gateway
The new Kalmar straddle carriers will help us improve our productivity, as fuel consumption will be reduced but speed will remain unchanged Louis Jonquière, General Manager, GMP
The solution
Container terminals
Kalmar supplied 14 straddle carriers to Générale de Manutention Portuaire (GMP) for an expansion project in the French port of Le Havre. The carriers are a key part of the plan to transform the port into the main gateway to the French market.
Kalmar straddle carriers help transform Le Havre into a major French gateway
The challenge
As France's leading container port, Le Havre's strengths are its proximity to Paris, its direct access to the sea and its capacity to receive container vessels. However, it faces stiff competition from the ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. As part of a major expansion project aimed at attracting more container traffic to Le Havre, GMP invested EUR 120 million in the port's facilities, including 14 Kalmar straddle carriers.
The solution
GMP has been using Kalmar straddle carriers since the early 1990s. "The durability and design convinced us, and we can also use our existing spare parts resources. Kalmar straddle carriers are an excellent addition to our fleet," says Louis Jonquière, GMP´s General Manager. GMP´s decision was also influenced by the extensive scope of the maintenance service and the new eco-friendly features of the Kalmar equipment.
The results
The straddle carriers feature electrically controlled engines, a variable speed generator system and a winch hoist system with full AC drives, as well as a fuel-efficient visco fan. "The new Kalmar straddle carriers will help us improve our productivity, as fuel consumption will be reduced but speed will remain unchanged," Jonquière adds.