The US$60 million electrification pilot programme at Aqaba Container Terminal, APM Terminals Barcelona, APM Terminals Mobile, Pier 400 Los Angeles, and Suez Canal Container Terminal has recently started.
APM Terminals has announced agreements with Konecranes and SANY for long-term partnerships on the development of electric port equipment to support these pilot projects.
SANY will supply APM Terminals with ten electric terminal tractors, two electric reach stackers, and two electric empty container handlers. Additionally, APM Terminals was the first company to place an order for four battery-powered Konecranes Noell straddle carriers, which will be delivered in the third quarter of 2024. Both orders involve charging infrastructure as well.
“Completion of the pilots is expected early 2025 and knowledge and insights gained from the pilots are likely to drive up supply, encourage the development of industry-wide best practices, and stimulate ongoing development long term,” said the Maersk-owned port and terminal operator.
The five terminals were chosen for their decarbonisation maturity levels, as well as their supporting local authorities and laws. Next-generation electrified equipment will be tested at these places, and workers will be trained in future-ready safety and maintenance protocols.
Jelle Burger, Program Lead Electrification Pilots at APM Terminals said the pilot and investment package was intended to ‘create a spark’ that will ignite the manufacturing sector, creating jobs and business opportunities.
In the next decade, APM Terminals estimates it will need to buy or retrofit over 1,500 electric Terminal Tractors (eTTs), 500 electric Reach Stackers (eRS), as well as electric Empty Handlers (eEH), electric Top Loaders (eTL), 100 electric Straddle (eSC) and Shuttle (eShC) Carriers and 550 Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes (RTGs).
“This is not an investment on which we will expect to see an immediate or short-term return,” he pointed out.
“We are making this investment as a solid benefit for our customers in the long term. It can be seen as ‘seed money’ to stimulate growth in carbon-neutral tools for the benefit of the entire sector and the earth itself,” he added.
