SSA Marine introduces first electric-drive handling machine at Port of San Diego

The first Wiggins Yard eBull at Port of San Diego has been named 'The Carrillo' (Photo: SSA Marine)

Marine terminal operator SSA Marine has put the first of a series of zero-emissions cargo handling machines into service at the Port of San Diego’s Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.

This first machine is the Wiggins Yard eBull battery-electric forklift. With a 55,000 lb (24,900 kg) capacity, the eBull is said to be one of the largest zero-emissions heavy-duty forklifts in operation in the US.

This is not the company’s first experience with Wiggins hardware. A further 26 eBull forklifts are currently in service at SSA Marine terminals at the ports of West Sacramento and Stockton.

“SSA Marine is proud to partner with the Port of San Diego to demonstrate the potential of zero-emissions equipment in a marine terminal environment and to further understand what the long-term benefits could look like,” said Bill Fitz, senior vice president of SSA Marine’s Conventional division.

A total of six zero-emissions machines are set to be put into service at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal over the next 12 to 18 months.

Purchase of the machine was partially funded by California’s Clean Off-Road Equipment (CORE) voucher program.

The Wiggins Yard eBull battery-electric forklift uses li-ion battery packs which have a cell configuration to reduce the potential for cascade failures. The machines operate using 720 VDC, with AC electric motors controlling high-power drive axles. Hydraulic wet disc brakes on the main drive axle are capable of stopping a fully-loaded machine in the distance required by the ITSDF B56.1 safety standard.