Freeport stocks up on ABB spares for STS cranes ‣ WorldCargo News
Port Freeport in Texas is investing in spare parts for drives on its ZPMC STS cranes, ahead some parts becoming obsolete. At the regular Port Commission meeting held on 25 September, the port authorised the purchase of three key components for ABB drives for two STS cranes (1 and 2) at US£98,680.85. The new -components will function as spare parts and include an ABB filter module and two different frequency converters.
Each of the port's two existing cranes is equipped with six drives. Two units have already failed in the past year, but spares on hand kept the cranes operational. The drives are not interchangeable across all cranes, necessitating one spare per unit to ensure continuous operations.
Rotating and refurbishment
The purchase of the three drive modules now -allows the port to rotate units, taking one module out, installing a spare, sending the used unit back to ABB for refurbishment, and repeating the process without taking cranes out of service.
Refurbishment cycles for the drive modules are expected to take six to eight weeks. The project is scheduled to begin with crane 1 in the 2025/26 budget year, with the -refurbishment of crane 2 planned for the 2026/27 budget cycle. During the commission meeting, the officials highlighted the importance of acting now, as ABB - the sole manufacturer of these drives - has -confirmed production will end in 2028.
After 2028, refurbishment of the drives will still be possible but will likely be more expensive and harder to source. Nevertheless, the port hopes ABB will come up with a -next--generation plug-and-play replacement. *This story first appeared in the October print issue of WorldCargo News
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