The recent installation of an Emerson Industrial Automation engineering solution involving drives, motors and crane control software has led to average energy savings of 25-30% on two ship-to-shore (STS) cranes at the Port of Ravenna on Italy’s Adriatic Coast.

The Port of Ravenna has chosen to use products from two Emerson Industrial Automation businesses – crane management system software, control system software and Unidrive SPMD hoist drives from Control Techniques, and FLS hoist motors from Leroy-Somer.

Milena Fico, the general manager of Terminal Container Ravenna (TCR), the operator of the Port of Ravenna, said, “Our current investments at TCR have been developed in order to prepare the port to take advantage of future opportunities. The innovative upgrades to TCR’s STS cranes will improve competitiveness and will give it the ability to attract new business.”

Gianbattista Dubini, director of marketing, Cranes at Control Techniques, commented, “The challenge of day to day operations in the busy environment of a container port can distract managers from the need to make basic equipment upgrades that can drastically improve efficiency and effectiveness.

“This is problematic because, to remain competitive, ports must continually improve efficiency. The Port of Ravenna is future-proofing their operations by upgrading to Emerson Industrial Automation’s drives, motors and crane management software. The outcome of this upgrade is energy savings on the cranes of up to 30%.”

The revamped cranes will have 17 container rows of operational capacity and a lifting capacity of 55 tonnes. Their height under the spreader is 34.5m.