Since 1927, Bolloré has been serving African trade and logistics. Today, they maintain a multimodal network of container terminals, dry ports and railways in 46 African countries as well as several other locations worldwide. In Cotonou, the largest city in Benin, on the west coast of Africa, Bolloré operates a terminal where 400 employees normally handle around 70,000 TEU per month.
Advanced equipment for a modern port
When containers arrive at the Benin terminal, the majority are sent on their way via trucks or railways, but almost a third of them are unloaded on-site. To ensure that tight delivery timetables are met, these empty containers must be moved in and out of storage stacks quickly, and the lift trucks that do it are key to the efficiency of the unloading and loading process. So a busy port like Benin needs dependable, specialist equipment with high handling rates and low operating costs.
The Bolloré terminal in Benin currently operates two Konecranes Liftace E 6/7 ECC9 empty container handlers, delivered in 2021. With a lifting capacity of 9 tons, each lift truck can stack up to 6 empty high-cube containers or 7 standard containers. A new-generation lift truck for the demanding conditions of a modern port, it has a sturdy wheelbase of 4,500 mm and a single box spreader with twistlocks to keep it stable when lifting high. Fitted with a spacious, OPTIMA cabin and ergonomic controls, the two lift trucks provide drivers with a panorama roof window and large, lowered front windows with no corner posts, for excellent visibility in all directions. Special features such as smart load sensing as well as Electronic Machine Control (EMC) for automatic engine shutdown and speed limit combine for better fuel efficiency, safety, and durability across a long life cycle.
High standardization in the production of the Konecranes liftace empty container handler means that two units could be delivered quickly after Bolloré’s order.
Building up the fleet
Bolloré specifically requested low-maintenance empty container handlers with efficient engines and minimal downtime. Once the new Konecranes Liftace empty container handlers arrived and were put to use at their terminal, Bolloré says they saw improvements in productivity, safety and uptime almost immediately.
“We’ve been gradually building a strong fleet of Konecranes reach stackers and RTGs for six years, so we were confident that Konecranes could fulfil our requirements again,” says Jean-Francois Alias, Technical Manager, Benin Terminal, Bolloré. “And so they have. We’ve already ordered another Konecranes empty container handler and have some other ongoing projects with the group. We really appreciate their attention to detail and the high quality of both their equipment and services."
