After two years in development and six months of field testing, Bromma is offering an all-electric crane spreader which is purpose-designed for yard cranes. The Swedish manufacturer claims that the new spreader ‘promises to reduce maintenance requirements and lower power costs’.

The test site was the Port of Felixstowe in the UK, one of the busiest terminals in Europe. Following the field tests, the port – owned by Hutchison Port Holdings Group – placed an order for 10 units of the 20ft-40ft all-electric telescopic spreader for delivery later this year.

Pointing out the benefits of its new product, Bromma says that on a regular spreader the hydraulic powerpack is always activated, while on the all-electric spreader, power is only needed when the spreader is in action. This reduces power consumption by 90%, Bromma claims.

With no oil and no oil filter, maintenance demands are decreased and service intervals are longer. There are also no oil spills or emissions.

A third benefit is that, at 5.7t, this spreader is lighter than Bromma’s standard rubber tyred gantry crane spreader and so it can be used on cranes with a lower lift capacity.

Finally, as it has a simplified design, this spreader is also has a lower purchase price than Bromma’s regular spreaders.

Bromma is now planning to bring out an all-electric 45ft telescopic yard crane spreader.