Customer story
Electric drives pay off for Eimskip
Icelandic global-logistics group Eimskip enjoys the sustainability, productivity and cost benefits of Konecranes electric drives
Eimskip has been using Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes at its terminals for almost three decades, adding another one in mid 2024. The cranes run mainly on electricity from the ports’ own grids, demonstrating how investments in electric equipment pay off – both for the environment and for terminal operators.
Founded in Iceland some 110 years ago, today Eimskip is a global player in maritime logistics. With more than 1,700 employees in 20 countries on four continents, the company offers liner services, warehousing, trucking and distribution, global forwarding and terminal operations. Its main terminals are at Sundahöfn in Reykjavik, the town of Reyðarfjörður, and in the Faroe Islands. The company also operates smaller terminals around Iceland.
Eimskip’s partnership with Konecranes dates back to 1996. Since then, a total of eleven Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Cranes have been delivered to the Icelandic company. A key argument for the long-term collaboration is the Konecranes electric drive concept.
“The Konecranes equipment forms the backbone of our handling activities, both at our home port of Sundahöfn and at our Faroe Ship terminal in Thorshavn. For almost 30 years the cranes have played a major role in our business development,” says Senior Manager of the Sundahöfn terminal,” Guðmundur Ágúst Aðalsteinsson.
“The Konecranes equipment can be fully supplied by electricity from the terminal’s own grid. This supports the sustainability approach we are taking in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Eimskip’s first Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbor crane was a Generation 4 crane. In the summer of 2024 we put our second Generation 6 crane – an ESP.8 – into operation too. We have grown our fleet across three generations of Konecranes,” explains Aðalsteinsson.
Electric drive cranes in line with Iceland’s renewable energy leadership
Iceland is a world leader in renewable energy, with 100% of the electricity in its grid produced from renewable resources. Approximately 85% of the total primary energy supply in the country is derived from domestic renewable energy sources. Of this, 75% comes from hydropower and 24% from geothermal power.
Iceland’s favorable renewable energy supplies benefit the environment in the long run, while also creating a positive economic impact for terminal operators and their customers.
“The high availability of renewable sources in Iceland makes it possible to offer electricity at very favorable prices. The bottom line is that we can operate our cranes with 100% renewable energy in a cost friendly manner. With the help of the mobile harbor cranes, eco-efficiency can be realized for the benefit of our customers and the environment,” explains Aðalsteinsson.
Against this background, Konecranes mobile harbor cranes are a key part of Eimskip’s corporate sustainability strategy. One of the company’s goals is to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2040, along with gradually reducing overall energy consumption and increasing the share of electricity in the company’s energy mix. Using electricity from the port’s grid also reduces total cost of ownership. Aðalsteinsson explains this dual benefit: “We have huge potential to operate exhaust free in all our locations – both on land and at sea. Eimskip also makes electricity from the port’s grid available to docking ships for on-board supply. The use of electricity reduces our operating costs too.”
Configure your Generation 6 mobile harbor crane
Sophisticated concept built on pioneering expertise
While Eimskip almost exclusively uses the Konecranes on-board diesel engines to move the cranes in the terminal, the cargo handling on the vessels is done with electricity coming from the grid. This enables larger maintenance intervals and lowers service costs by some 15%, as the price of electricity in Iceland is 25% percent lower than that of diesel applied for the same use. All these factors combine to ensure that return on investment (ROI) in equipping the cranes with external power supply is achieved within three years.
With the ESP.8 cranes, Konecranes provides Eimskip with a technology that precisely matches on-site conditions with regards to lifting capacity, working radius and handling performance. By reducing energy consumption and operational emissions – as well as lowering maintenance costs – the sophisticated electric drive concept fully supports the company’s sustainability strategy and cost targets. The cranes have a low noise level too.
Eimskip also benefits from Konecranes’ pioneering experience, as explained by Hans-Jürgen Schneider, Regional Sales Manager, Konecranes: “We have always been electric, and with Generation 6 we have further developed this fundamental aspect of Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbor cranes. We see that terminals across the globe are becoming more and more electric, and we are delighted that Eimskip is continuing to develop its activities with Konecranes,” he says.
“In the framework of this long-term partnership, our trusted partner Port Trade – responsible for on-site service and maintenance – plays an important role as well.”
