Sicily’s largest port gets productivity boost with hybrid drive Konecranes Gottwald Mobile Harbor Crane

Europea Servizi Terminalistici Srl (EST)  a subsidiary of the Italian Shipping & Logistics Agency Srl (ISLA), has ordered a new hybrid drive Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 Mobile Harbor Crane for the fast-developing Port of Augusta, Sicily. The order was booked in Q1 2025, with delivery and commissioning expected by the end of summer.

EST recently secured a 25-year concession to operate the new container terminal in Augusta – the largest port in Sicily by cargo volume. To support its productivity and reach its sustainability goals for the terminal, EST opted to invest in a hybrid drive Konecranes Gottwald ESP.8 mobile harbour crane with a lifting capacity of 150t.

Equipped with a 5.3m tower extension and 65t twin-lift spreaders, the crane will improve EST’s ability to handle containers and specialized heavy cargo, such as wind energy components. Konecranes predictive services based on TruConnect monitoring and an additional condition-based maintenance system cover key crane components.

The hybrid drive combines a diesel engine with two ultracapacitors to reduce fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. The crane is also prepared for an external power supply, enabling full electrification and zero onsite tailpipe emissions once the necessary infrastructure is in place at the Port of Augusta.

“As we scale up operations in Augusta, we’re focused on immediate efficiency gains while preparing for a fully electric future. This first investment in Konecranes hybrid equipment is perfectly aligned with our journey, enabling us to take on more complex cargo in a sustainable manner and to meet the increasing demand for our services, especially from the growing offshore wind industry in the Mediterranean,” said Pietro B. Coniglio, managing director of EST and ISLA.

EST already operates a Konecranes Gottwald Generation 5 mobile harbour crane, which has now been moved to the new Augusta terminal from Sicily’s Port of Catania. The operator’s decision to invest in the latest generation Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour crane underscores the trust built over years of collaboration.

Gino Gherri, regional sales manager at Konecranes said, “Ports are evolving and with this investment EST is keeping pace with the change. Konecranes Gottwald mobile harbour cranes are a future-proof choice for port operators looking to balance productivity and sustainability on the journey to full electrification.”

This contract is part of Ecolifting, Konecranes’ vision to increase its handprint – meaning the beneficial environmental impact that can be achieved with our product and service portfolio – while reducing customers’ carbon footprints. From eco-optimizing diesel drives, to hybridization and fully-electrified fleets, we will continue to do more with less.

A strong focus on customers and commitment to business growth and continuous improvement make Konecranes a material handling industry leader. This is underpinned by investments in digitalization and technology, plus our work to make material flows more efficient with solutions that decarbonize the economy and advance circularity and safety.