Above: The new Konecrane SMV 4638 at the Port of Hull.
Associated British Ports (ABP) Humber Container Terminal at the Port of Hull has taken delivery of a new state of the art reach stacker. The Konecrane SMV 4638 will be used to boost ABP’s container service in Hull, alongside its sister facility at ABP Immingham the leading northern England gateway for short sea container traffic with Europe and the Baltic.
Equipped with a powerful, low-emission engine, the new truck joins the, now ten strong, fleet of reach stachers used across the container terminal by Port Operators to safely move and store containerised cargo and load out containers on to HGV for their onward travel. The new reach stackers are the latest addition to ABP’s £50 million investment plan at the container terminals in the Ports of Hull and Immingham completed in recent years.
The Port of Hull Container Terminal, spanning 30 acres, has the capacity to handle more than 400.000 units per year. The terminal is complemented by ABP’s Port of Immingham Container Terminal; together they welcome over 26 vessels a week, connecting trade routes from European and global ports, handling 243,000 containers combined in 2023.
Simon Bird, Regional Director for the Humber ABP ports said: “ABP has the space and state-of-the-art service across its container terminals here on the Humber for those looking for a reliable and resilient route to market.
Our northern access makes the Humber a great solution for retailers and suppliers looking to build more sustainable supply chains by reducing road miles for their customers.”
Research published in 2019 by the University of Hull Logistics Institute, commissioned by ABP, identified that using ABP Humber Ports to bring cargoes closer to their destination, particularly the major distribution centres in the North of England, would incur significant time and milage savings when compared to using ports based in the south. The efficiency not only lowers emissions but also enables customers to avoid port congestion.
ABP’s Humber Container Terminals at the Ports of Immingham and Hull have become a significant gateway for containerised cargo in the UK, offering, flexibility, value added services and excellent road and rail access.
The new reach stacker boasts an ergonomically designed cabin, curved windows for great visibility, compressor suspension, heating, and air conditioning, ensuring operators can carry out container movements safely and comfortably. It is also more efficient and lower emitting than the asset it replaces.
The ABP’s asset acquisition approach is part of its Ready for Tomorrow sustainability strategy, which includes the commitment to decarbonise its operations by 2040 at the latest. ABP will continue to build on future investments in low carbon equipment to ensure both the sustainability and longevity of trade in to and out of the UK.
