Victoria International Container Terminal (VICT), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) fully automated operations at the Port of Melbourne, Australia, has deployed four new Kalmar hybrid automatic container carriers (ACC) following their successful commissioning and operational integration over the past several weeks.
Kalmar executives attended the handover ceremony on May 26, including Sami Niiranen, president and chief executive officer, alongside VICT management and operations personnel.
The new ACCs form part of VICT’s expansion program aimed at increasing annual capacity to over 1.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) while supporting more efficient and sustainable terminal operations.
The ACCs were designed to increase productivity by minimizing loading times. VICT and Kalmar worked together on several custom upgrades targeting improved levels of efficiency.
The hybrid ACCs feature twin-box lifting capability of up to 60 tons. They are equipped with lithium-ion battery systems that enable energy recovery during operations, which translate to 40 percent increase in energy efficiency and up to 50-ton reduction in carbon emissions per unit annually.
Kalmar likewise highlighted the importance of collaboration and innovation to support the evolving needs of modern container terminals. The container and industrial material handling pioneer has been supporting VICT since the start of terminal operations in 2017.
VICT is the only fully automated container terminal in the southern hemisphere. The equipment rollout marks another milestone in VICT’s continuing efforts to enhance productivity and cater to global trade requirements.