The Port of Helsingborg has ordered two electric reach stackers from Kalmar, with delivery scheduled for the end of Q2 2027, in the first equipment call-off under a six-year framework agreement signed in Q2 2026 that could bring up to nine zero-emission machines to Sweden's second-largest container port.

Kalmar booked the order in its Q3 2026 intake. Alongside the two battery-electric units, Helsingborg will take Kalmar's MyKalmar INSIGHT with the Inspector machine inspection solution, giving the port digital visibility over equipment condition and performance from the outset.

The deal extends a relationship that began making headway on electrification in 2024, when Helsingborg became the first Swedish port to order a Kalmar electric reach stacker. The port already operates three Kalmar eco reach stackers on its Øresund-coast terminals.

The commercial logic for the port is straightforward: throughput is rising and diesel exposure is rising with it. Helsingborg handled 184,000 TEU between January and August, up from 180,000 TEU in the same period a year earlier. Total cargo throughput climbed to 5.4 million tonnes in the first eight months, against 4.8 million tonnes in the corresponding 2025 period, and the port expects full-year volumes to exceed last year's levels.

"Despite a challenging global environment, container operations delivered solid volumes while continuing efforts to improve efficiency, capacity utilisation and customer experience," the port said in a statement.

For terminal operators weighing electrification, the spec sheet matters as much as the order. Kalmar offers lithium-ion reach stackers in three battery sizes — 400 kWh, 533 kWh and 800 kWh — with lifting capacities of up to 70 tonnes. A 400 kWh battery paired with a 350 kW charger covers a full 10-hour shift using scheduled breaks for opportunity charging, based on average consumption of 58 kWh per hour. The 800 kWh pack extends that to up to 11 hours of continuous operation under the same consumption profile.

Those numbers address the central operational concern for container yards: whether electric machines can hold a shift pattern built around diesel uptime. Helsingborg's willingness to commit to a multi-year framework rather than single-unit trials suggests the economics are clearing that bar for at least one mid-sized Nordic port.

"Ordering these first two units under our new framework agreement represents an important step in our transition towards lower-emission terminal operations. We are committed to replacing diesel machines in a structured and long-term way. By continuing to invest in sustainable innovations, we are proud to set a strong industry benchmark," said Christina Argelius, Chief Technical Officer at the Port of Helsingborg.

Kalmar framed the deal partly in fuel-cost terms, a pitch aimed squarely at terminals battered by volatile diesel prices. "It's fantastic to take this next step with the Port of Helsingborg. Moving away from diesel gives terminals much more security when fuel costs are unpredictable. It's a pleasure working with the team at Helsingborg because they are just as dedicated to finding sustainable ways of working as we are," said Eric Wass, Sales Representative at Kalmar Sweden.

For Kalmar, the framework structure converts a single Nordic port relationship into a pipeline of up to nine machines over six years — a template the manufacturer will likely seek to replicate with other mid-sized European ports under similar decarbonisation pressure.

For shippers and forwarders moving cargo through Helsingborg, the investment signals capacity headroom: volumes are already up 11% in tonnage terms year on year, and the port is adding equipment ahead of demand rather than behind it.

With seven further zero-emission machines available under the framework and full-year volumes expected to top 2025, expect Helsingborg's diesel fleet to shrink steadily through the agreement's term — and other Baltic and North Sea ports to watch whether the operating economics hold up in practice.