ATP install fire suppression retrofits on 9 Konecranes RTGs at Mexican port

At their terminal in the Port of Altamira in the Gulf of Mexico, Altamira Terminal Portuaria S.A. de C.V. (ATP) had the Konecranes fire suppression retrofit installed on their nine Konecranes Rubber-Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes. Using a non-toxic, non-pressurized aerosol system, the retrofit detects and extinguishes critical area fires. 

As a key regional port operator, ATP handles freight on major sea routes to the Caribbean, the United States and Europe. Their container terminal in the Port of Altamira handles around 500,000 TEU per year. Always keen to improve safety on and around their container handling equipment, they decided to retrofit their nine Konecranes RTGs with the Konecranes fire suppression retrofit.

Part of the Konecranes Any Brand series, the retrofit is fully compatible with both Konecranes and non Konecranes RTGs. Each crane is fitted with detectors, alarms and fire-suppressant aerosols for a fully automatic and autonomously activating system. Installed inside the e-room and generator room, it easily limits the spread of fire to other parts of the crane.

 

Risk is always present
 

The goal with every retrofit is to make the handling, functionality and reliability of existing cranes equivalent to the latest generation of Konecranes equipment. A retrofit can add features to improve operational efficiency and safety. The fire suppression retrofit is a simple, cost-effective way to improve safety on any RTG.

“Generally, harbor cranes are very safe to use, but there’s still a small risk of fire whenever you operate heavy equipment. We want to be sure that we can quickly control any fire so that our people stay unharmed and any potential damage is minimized,” says Carlos Martinez, Head of Electrical Maintenance, ATP. “Although our Konecranes RTGs vary in age, the fire suppression retrofit was easy to install on all of them, and we were even able to take care of some small technical upgrades at the same time. Our drivers feel much safer knowing it’s there.”

The Konecranes fire suppression retrofit divides the crane into protected areas to prevent fires from spreading. Each area has its own control panel to test, program and control alarms and extinguishers. Smoke- and heat-detecting sensors set off sirens and visual alarms in the most visible areas of the crane, and immediately shut down crane functions. The sensors also trigger aerosols that emit a cloud of fire suppressant which is not harmful to humans or animals. The system has two separate detection zones to ensure it does not activate by mistake.

 

Maximizing safety at all times
 

“We at Konecranes are proud to offer a broad range of safety-assisting retrofits for our RTGs and other ports equipment,” says Rafael Rosales, Operations Manager, Port Services Mexico, Konecranes. “By installing the Konecranes fire suppression retrofit, ATP shows their dedication to providing a safe and secure work environment. We look forward to bringing them our latest safety technology as it becomes available.” 

The fire suppression retrofit is one of the Konecranes Any Brand retrofits. Whatever the make of your equipment, you can add safety-assist, electric conversion, smart features or automation retrofits to bring the performance of your cranes up to that of the latest Konecranes models.