RTG Automation for Port of Houston

Kalmar, part of Cargotec, will supply the Port of Houston public container terminals with a suite of process automation solutions for its rubber-tired gantry (RTG) crane fleet, located across two sites.

The order, which comprises hardware installation and commissioning as well as system integration, was booked in Cargotec’s 2019 Q4 order intake, with the work scheduled to be completed by the end of 2020.

The Port of Houston handles about two-thirds of all the containerized cargo in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The port is implementing the Kalmar SmartMap and Kalmar SmartStack process automation solutions for its fleet of over 100 Konecranes RTGs. The implementation work involves retrofitting and commissioning hardware on the cranes and performing related system integration work to integrate the solutions with the port’s Navis N4 terminal operating system (TOS).

Kalmar SmartMap provides real-time and historical visualisation of equipment location and container routing in the yard, while Kalmar SmartStack enables the creation of an automatically updated real-time stack container inventory in the TOS.

Mike Shaffner, Director Planning & Technology, Port of Houston: “Port Houston continually evaluates terminal solutions that will enhance operational performance and provide value to our customers and terminal users.”

The Port of Houston handles about two-thirds of all the containerized cargo in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.

Mika Seppä, Senior Director, Customer and Project Services, Kalmar: “This order represents another significant vote of confidence in our process automation solutions for street-truck handling and is the largest single order for Kalmar SmartStack to date. The Port of Houston will join 52 other North American terminals which have deployed one or more Kalmar SmartPort solutions. We look forward to working with the Port of Houston to continuously develop and improve the SmartPort product suite.”