ABB AND KUENZ LAND AUTOMATIC STACKING CRANES CONTRACT FOR APM TERMINALS MAASVLAKTE II EXPANSION

ABB and crane builder Kuenz, headquartered in Austria, have secured the largest single order of Automatic Stacking Cranes (ASC) ever made by a European terminal, as part of the groundbreaking ‘phase 2’ expansion of APM Terminals Maasvlakte II (APMT MVII) facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The companies will deliver 62 ASC and one Intermodal Yard Crane equipped with the latest electrical and automation technology enabling the terminal to double container capacity at APMT MVII.

For the expansion, APMT MVII is building on the achievements of the existing facility which deploys the highest level of yard crane automation, with fully automated stacks, automated guided vehicle (AGV) transfer zone as well as fully automatic handling of external trucks.

The high level of automation with the separation of personnel and handling operations delivers safety as well as efficiency gains. Experience from the current facility also underlines how automation enables smoother and ‘machine-friendly’ operations with less risk of damage to equipment, demonstrated in record-low maintenance hours for the terminal.

The scope of delivery from ABB includes control and information systems, automation sensors and software, and remote control capability to optimize the crane efficiency for remote crane management. Continuous development and solid revision management make it possible for APMT MVII to run both the existing facility and the expansion as a unified efficient facility at a high automation and performance level.

Ranged along 1,000 meters of new quay, the APMT MVII expansion will significantly increase the capacity of APMT MVII during 2027, strengthening APMT MVII’s position among Europe’s leading container terminals. Yard operations will be highly sustainable as well as automated, with each all-electric crane optimized for 1 over 6-high stacking to make most efficient use of land.