Cargotec has received an order for four all-electric, Kalmar E-One2 rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes from Allcargo Logistics in India.

Allcargo Logistics has experienced rapid container traffic growth in Indian ports, prompting it to purchase the RTGs for its container freight station in Chennai and a planned new facility near Mumbai.

The Chennai facility had been using Kalmar reach stackers. It is the first of South India's inland container yards to adopt all-electric RTG operations to cope with increased throughput and space limitations in ports.

The value of the order is confidential.

Allcargo has selected an advanced specification for the RTGs that includes variable speed generators to reduce fuel consumption. The 41 T capacity machines can stack containers one-over-five high, and span seven container rows plus a roadway.

"As well as meeting Allcargo's requirement for more sustainable RTGs, we were able to capitalise on their positive experience with the Kalmar reach stackers and Kalmar empty container handlers that they already have at the Chennai container freight station," says Cargotec's Jonne Hankimaa, managing director of Cargotec India.

"It was also important to Allcargo that we can offer a local service support network, to ensure maximum uptime for (this equipment)," Hankimaa adds.

Allcargo Logistics managing director Shashi Kiran Shetty says that traffic at Indian container freight stations (CFSs) is increasing significantly. To exploit the opportunities, Allcargo is expanding its existing facilities' capacity and adding new container CFSs in Dadri and Hyderabad.

"We have chosen to install the all-electric Kalmar E-One2 RTGs at two of our busiest CFSs - Mumbai and Chennai. Choosing a partner like Cargotec was an obvious choice given our experience of working with them previously," Shetty says.

This is the second order for Kalmar RTG cranes that Cargotec has received from an Indian container freight station operator. Kalmar RTGs are not only operated at container freight stations, but also in ports. Gateway Terminals India operates 40 Kalmar RTGs at the Port of Jawaharlal Nehru in the Mumbai area.

Allcargo Logistics Limited is a multinational integrated logistics solutions company. The company is one of India's largest publicly listed logistics companies, and is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and The National Stock Exchange of India.