Germany’s Demag has combined its lightweight V-type overhead crane with a power supply that uses regenerative energy and a buffer battery, to operate with no emissions.

The charging unit is installed on the crane bridge, with Demag’s Status Control system recording battery data in real-time.

It replaces the external power supply typically used on a travelling hoist, says Demag. The crane’s long and cross-travel motions, and its hoist, are instead powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack installed on the crane bridge.

The battery pack is recharged by charging connectors at the end of the crane runway. If there are multiple cranes on one runway, the battery is recharged at pass-through charging stations, which are powered by a buffer battery that is located on the ground and charged by solar panels.

As a result of the power system, the entire crane installation does not need to be connected to a central power supply, and the conductor line along the crane runway can be eliminated.

Thomas Hacke, product manager for Universal Cranes and Crane Sets at Terex Ma- terial Handling, said: “We have developed real technology for the future, which can help our customers to achieve their sustainability and environmental protection goals. We established the basis for this with our innovative V-type crane: the significantly improved weight of the girder makes it possible to carry the battery on-board without limiting the load capacity in comparison to cranes that have conventional box-section girders.”

The Zero Emission V-Type cranes can optionally be configured as complete solutions including a power supply, which includes specification of the solar power system and buffer battery on the basis of the relevant crane data, such as the load capacity and number of cycles, says Demag.

The crane was developed following a request from a European customer of Demag who wanted to consider sustainability and energy-efficiency, and as far as possible wanted a carbon-neutral power supply.

As well as environmental concerns, self-sufficient cranes are suitable for regions without a stable power supply, where an additional diesel generator is required to support the grid, or where there is no electric grid at all.

Demag launches zero-emission crane