Mi-Jack, an Illinois-based manufacturer and supplier of rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes for industrial applications, has engaged US Hybrid to convert an RTG crane from diesel to hydrogen-powered.
US Hybrid is a California-based company that specializes in designing and manufacturing power conversion systems for medium/heavy-duty electric, hybrid and fuel cell commercial buses and trucks. It is a subsidiary of Illinois-based electric vehicle company Ideanomics.
Under the deal, US Hybrid will manage all procurement, engineering and design work related to the hydrogen propulsion kit, which will include a hydrogen fuel cell system from Hyundai Motor and locally manufactured core components such as hydrogen storage tanks and cooling systems.
US Hybrid will carry out all manufacturing, assembly and system testing at its facility in Torrance, California, while Mi-Jack will install the hydrogen propulsion kit into the gantry crane at its Illinois facility.
RTG cranes are one of the noisiest, largest, heaviest-polluting and hard-to-decarbonize pieces of equipment in ports and railyards. They operate for 10-20 hours per day, lifting shipping containers that can weigh almost 80,000 pounds when fully loaded.
Typically, RTG cranes burn fossil fuels to meet their energy needs. On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cells offer a much low carbon profile. They also can be refilled quickly, operate efficiently in extreme hot and cold weather, and deliver the same or more power as diesel. Powered by hydrogen, RTG cranes can keep operating reliably with zero emissions.
“The new reality for intermodal terminals is achieving carbon neutrality,” Aaron Newton, VP of Sales at Mi-Jack, said. “Offering hydrogen-powered RTG cranes is paramount for ensuring terminals meet their carbon neutrality goals without compromising on performance.”
