ABB modernization services reduce downtime of Suez Canal’s largest sheerleg crane by up to 70%

ABB Motion Service in collaboration with Suez Canal Authority upgraded the drive systems on the Enkaz II floating crane with the latest technology. This resulted in improved reliability, higher energy efficiency, better overall performance and lower operating and maintenance costs.

The Suez Canal in Egypt is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes and an important artery of global trade. The Enkaz II floating crane plays a vital part in keeping traffic on the canal moving smoothly by performing the required salvage work. It operates in the Port Said Shipyard at the northern end of the canal and has an overall lift capacity of 500 tons.  

The crane was built in 1982 by Blohm & Voss shipyard in Germany, and after almost forty years of operation in Egypt, its technology has reached its obsolete phase. “The legacy DC motor control systems, powering the crane reached the end of its life-cycle and it became very difficult to provide the necessary service support” says Alaa Abdelbar, Port Said Shipyard manager. The Suez Canal Authority (SCA), which is responsible for operating the canal, launched a project to modernize the electrical system speed drives and electric motors, to increase uptime, improve energy efficiency, and enhance overall controllability and performance.

ABB modernization services reduce downtime of Suez Canal’s largest sheerleg crane by up to 70%

Fully automated control systems

SCA and ABB have been working together for more than two decades, and SCA selected ABB Motion Service to modernize key systems and controls on the vessel. This was built around two Ward Leonard motor-generator sets, which are systems to provide speed control for DC motors.

ABB replaced the outdated control system with a fully automated system including ABB ACS880 & DCS800 drive panels, eight ABB Process performance AC motors, and control panels with AC500 PLCs. The new operating cabinet features an ABB SCADA system that enables the operator to check all the equipment on screen.

“The old technology had become unreliable, and ABB offered the most suitable technical solutions to meet our demand and expectations,” says Dr. Amr El-Zaghwy, Maritime Section Head. “The new, automated equipment is much easier to use. Downtime has been reduced by 50 – 70%, energy consumption is down by as much as 30% and we are also seeing 20 – 30% fewer safety incidents. We are very pleased with the new technology.”

“A modernization project is a great way to extend the lifetime and enable reliability of an important asset like Enkaz II,” says Mohamed Ismail, Motion Services Division Manager, ABB Egypt, North and Central Africa. “The upgrade has achieved a remarkable reduction in downtime – a critical factor in a crane application like this. Improved efficiency means lower energy consumption and operating costs, while better reliability and controllability mean higher safety. And ABB Egypt’s service team can offer really fast on-site response times if needed, because we’re located only around one hour from SCA.”

The project was successfully completed in early 2023, meeting all the requirements, when the SCA team, jointly with ABB teams from Egypt and Singapore, commissioned the upgraded Enkaz II.

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