India’s energy-storage build-out is running at container scale. A single 20 ft BESS enclosure, fully loaded with cells, racks, PCS interfaces, HVAC, and fire suppression, can weigh up to 60 tonnes. Building these units is only half the job. They also have to be moved between assembly bays, test areas, storage yards, and dispatch points, often several times before they leave the plant.
Most facilities still rely on a mix of overhead cranes, mobile cranes, trailers, and rigging crews to do this. The process is slow, needs a lot of labour, and brings risk every time a heavy load is lifted, set down, and lifted again.
Semco Infratech built the SI-PE SCBP-60T, a battery-powered straddle carrier, to solve this problem. It is designed to pick up, carry, stack, and place 20 ft containerised loads of up to 60 tonnes, with no support from any other equipment.
What the SCBP-60T Does
The SCBP-60T is a self-contained lifting and transport machine. It has five main parts: a battery power system, a hydraulic lifting system, a traveling system, an operator cab, and support systems such as video monitoring and a fault emergency device.
The machine drives over a container, lifts it with its spreader, carries it while loaded, and sets it down wherever it is needed. It can also stack one container on top of another. In short, one machine and one operator can do a job that usually needs a crane, a trailer, and a ground crew.
Designed load profile:
- 20 ft product: 6058 × 2438 × 2896 mm
- Weight: up to 60 tonnes
- Can stack one unit on top of another
Key Specifications at a Glance
One figure stands out. The carrier weighs no more than 33 tonnes but is rated to lift 60 tonnes. That means it can safely carry nearly twice its own weight. This lighter frame puts less load on floors and yard surfaces, and the machine’s energy goes into moving the load, not moving itself.
Battery-Electric by Design
The SCBP-60T runs on an electric drivetrain powered by a battery pack of up to 180 kWh built with CATL cells. For a company that builds BESS assembly and testing lines, this choice makes sense. The machine that handles energy-storage containers is itself powered by stored energy.
What this means on the shop floor:
- No tailpipe emissions. This matters inside or near enclosed assembly and test halls.
- Noise within national environmental monitoring limits, which suits factories that run through the night.
- Drive power sized for heavy loads, so the carrier can travel and climb gradients with a full load.
- Built for heat and weather: the battery is rated for –20°C to 65°C, with a dedicated cooling system to prevent overheat shutdowns, heat dissipation on the hydraulic system, and waterproof connections and components.
The machine is rated for up to 2.25 hours of continuous work. This fits the shuttle-and-place pattern of yard and factory logistics, where the carrier moves in short bursts rather than running nonstop.
Manoeuvrability in Tight Spaces
Factory yards and BESS sites are rarely wide open. The SCBP-60T handles tight layouts in three ways:
- Four-wheel steering, with a turning radius under 10 metres
- Dual drive on the same side, giving steady traction under load
- Free speed adjustment, so the operator can control speed precisely when approaching a set-down point
The inner clear width of 3700 mm can be adjusted to suit the client’s site and product. This flexibility helps when container sizes or yard aisle widths differ from the standard.
Safety Built Into the Control Logic
When a machine is carrying 60 ton
nes, safety has to be part of how it works, not something added afterwards. The SCBP-60T includes several built-in safety features:
- Check valves on every lifting cylinder. If power or hydraulic pressure is lost, the cylinders lock. The load cannot rise or fall on its own.
- No lifting or lowering while driving. The carrier can only travel when the spreader is fully raised.
- No self-lowering at shutdown. In an emergency, the load can only be lowered with a dedicated emergency button.
- Neutral-gear start only. The machine will not start in gear, which prevents sudden unintended movement.
- Visibility and warnings: four flashing lights, a reversing alarm, and LED lights at all four corners.
- Video system and fault emergency device, giving the operator better awareness and a way to respond to faults.
For BESS containers, this matters even more. The load is not just heavy. It holds lithium-ion cells worth a great deal of money, and they must not be dropped, jolted, or set down unevenly.
Built for Harsh Conditions
The SCBP-60T is designed to work in all weather, around the clock, in tough environments:
- Maximum working wind speed: 20 m/s
- Maximum design wind speed (non-working): 55 m/s
- Relative humidity: up to 100% (85% annual average)
- Resistant to fog, salty coastal air, and dust
- Ambient temperature: –20°C to 50°C (reaching the lower limit requires the optional hydraulic oil heater)
This makes it a good fit for coastal manufacturing sites, port-side storage yards, and outdoor BESS project sites, not only covered factory floors.
Engineering and Build Quality
The structure is built to last under repeated heavy lifting:
- Design standard: GB/T 3811-2008 Crane Design Specifications
- Structural steel: at least Q355B grade, chosen for fatigue durability
- Fabrication: plates and profiles are straightened and bent with pressure-processing equipment, never by hammering
- Welding: done by qualified welders to specifications agreed with the buyer, with steps taken to limit distortion, internal defects, and residual stress
- Corrosion protection: coatings from internationally recognised brands, applied following the paint maker’s instructions, only at 10°C to 30°C and below 80% relative humidity
Full Scope of Supply
Semco supports the SCBP-60T from start to finish:
- Design, manufacturing, and delivery to the destination port
- Installation guidance and commissioning
- Accessories, spare parts, tools, and test instruments
- Ongoing technical service
- Operator training on operation, maintenance, and safety
Where It Fits
The SCBP-60T suits any operation that moves heavy 20 ft containerised units often:
- BESS assembly plants: moving containers between integration, testing, and dispatch
- Battery and energy-storage test facilities: placing containers at test bays and taking them away
- Storage and dispatch yards: stacking finished units to save space
- BESS project sites: placing containers on foundations where crane access is limited or expensive
- General heavy industry: any 20 ft box-type load up to 60 tonnes
Why It Matters
India is adding gigawatt-hours of storage capacity every year. As a result, the number of heavy container movements inside factories and on project sites is growing quickly. Every crane booking, rigging setup, and double handling adds cost, time, and risk.
A battery-powered straddle carrier that one operator can run, and that can lift, carry, and stack a 60-tonne container by itself, takes those steps out of the process.
Semco Infratech already supports cell, module, pack, and containerised BESS production with automated assembly and testing solutions. With 100+ skilled engineers, 500+ customers, 10,000+ spare parts, and 20 GWh+ of installations behind it, the SCBP-60T extends that support from the production line to moving finished containers around the factory and yard.
Contact Semco Infratech to discuss your EV & BESS manufacturing requirements and discover how automatic assembly solutions can enhance your production efficiency, ensure product quality, and accelerate your path to market competitiveness.