Aprolis Equipment Distribution, part of Aprolis UK, one of the country’s leading providers of material handling equipment, has announced that it has secured an order for the one of the first Konecranes Reach Stackers to go into a barge handling operation on the river Thames.
Manufactured by Konecranes, the SMV 4646 TCX4 reach stacker is the company’s purpose-built barge handler.
As the UK distributor, Aprolis Equipment Distribution underwent a lengthy consultation period with the customer to ensure that the machine was precisely configured to meet the highly specialised demands and matched the exact operational requirements of handling containerised loads on tidal barges both safely and reliably.
This powerful and highly adaptable machine, able to reach four meters below quay level and lift barges weighing up to 37 tonnes, will operate alongside the River Thames, handling waste containers which are moved on the river by containerised barges to a recycling facility located in Barking, London.
To suit the demands of the operation, the barge handler has been uniquely engineered by Konecranes to operate effectively despite the Thames’ extreme tidal range, enabling it to reach containers at both the river’s lowest and highest water levels while maintaining stability and precision when handling heavy loads on a constantly moving surface.
With the River Thames having one of the highest tidal ranges in the world, with water levels changing by up to 7m in just six hours in some areas, this capability ensures consistent handling performance despite the challenging swell conditions of the river.
The vehicle will primarily function as a vital support asset to the site’s permanent ship-to-shore crane located and will help maintain uninterrupted waste transfer operations throughout the year.
This is to ensure that waste transfer operations are able to continue uninterrupted, even during routine maintenance or unexpected downtime.
Speaking on the order Andy Armitage Sales Manager – Heavy Equipment at Aprolis Equipment Distribution commented:
“We are delighted to have facilitated the order of a SMV 4646 TCX4 reach stacker to a customer at the back end of last year, making them the first operator in the UK to deploy a dedicated barge handler of this type.
“Operating on a tidal river comes with its own set of unique challenges. They must cope with constantly shifting water levels and the movement of the barges themselves, so this project needed careful planning and a level of customisation to ensuring the barge handler remained stable when lifting heavy containers, while still maintaining precise reach, and operating safely.
“By working closely with Konecranes and the customer, we have collectively been able to deliver a solution that can handle containers safely and efficiently all year round.”
