Ship mounted version on an integrated trolley over the loading area of the cargo vessel “Kjervaagsund”
Hitra, Norway – A new fleet member of Berge Rederi AS has been defying the rough conditions on the choppy high seas since 2019. With a ship-mounted version of the 860 Hybrid material handler from SENNEBOGEN, the Norwegian company aimed high and succeeded in making their loading and off-loading processes more efficient than ever before. Their SENNEBOGEN 860 material handler was installed using a special trolley on the cargo ship “Kjervaagsund”. This allowed to move more of its cargo while virtually floating above the loading area. Thanks to its increased reach with a custom-built 70 ft. (21 m) banana boom, it’s easy to get to the material in the cargo hold.
Berge Rederi AS has a long family history on the Nordic waters. In 1997, the company was founded and has enjoyed strong growth over the years. Around 130 employees are currently responsible for the operation of their nine vessels with a combined capacity of 2,400 to 6,000 tons. With their fleet, they mainly transport raw materials for the animal feed industry, including fish meal, grain and corn, as well as various other bulk materials such as sand and dolomite. On their routes, they operate in the ARAG Ports (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Ghent), Ports in Norway and in the Baltic Sea.
A purpose-built and efficient material handler creates competitive advantages
The Norwegians have chosen a SENNEBOGEN 860 material handler with its proven Green Hybrid system. This consists of a combination of a nitrogen piston accumulator module in the rear of the machine and an additional hydraulic cylinder at the boom. When the boom is lowered, the energy is stored in separate compressed gas cylinders, which are located in a safe, enclosed area in the rear of the machine. The energy retained is then available again for the next lifting task. As explained by SENNEBOGEN, it is easiest to think of it like a spring that is compressed and sets its energy free again when it is released. Compared to conventional, diesel-hydraulic models without an energy recovery system, this can reduce energy costs up to 35%. The SENNEBOGEN Green Hybrid system offers a decisive strategic advantage, especially in the highly competitive port business where a green solution provides even more uptime.
“Our new SENNEBOGEN has further advantages when compared to what we worked on before using a conventional excavator: The banana boom has allowed us to increase the reach and our working depth, giving us more flexibility in everyday use. We are also very pleased with the material handling speed of the machine,” says Managing Director Øivind Berge. The cargo vessel “Kjervaagsund”, named after the place of origin of the Berge family in Norway, has a deadweight of around 6,000 tonnes. However, depending on the capacity of the port of call, the Kjervaagsund never spends more than twelve hours at the piers to unload its freight. As a result of the gain in cargo handling speed with the 860, the costs for berthing times in the ports has already significantly decreased and will continue to pay dividends in the years to come.
Choosing SENNEBOGEN is an investment for the future
The 860 Hybrid solution on their vessel is a great success, but Øivind Berge is already planning the next steps: “We are currently working at full speed on our latest acquisition. “Sletringen”, another cargo ship, will be equipped with a SENNEBOGEN 870 E-Series. What is special about this new project is that we will be using an electrically driven material handler in order to further reduce our CO2 emissions while benefitting from lower operating costs in the long term.”