Port of Rotterdam announces that the first inland vessel driven entirely by ZES technology is scheduled to travel with zero emissions between Den Bosch, the Maasvlakte, and Moerdijk in the Netherlands in April.
A fixed battery package will be fitted for electric sailing with standard 20-foot modular energy containers (ZESpacks).
The Den Bosch Max Groen is a 90-metre-long vessel and was prepared for electric sailing during construction. Inland Terminals Group (ITG), Nedcargo, and Zero Emission Services (ZES) announced that another four vessels will follow.
Green energy will be used to power the ZESpacks via ZES’ latest generation of 2x 1MVA charging stations. These charging stations and ZESpacks include a 1MW Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connection, allowing ZESpacks to be charged in under 3 hours.
Green energy will be supplied using Dutch Guarantee of Origin certificates, and ZESpacks will be based using an innovative pay-per-use billing model.
The electrification of the Den Bosch Max Groen is estimated to lower the operation’s yearly emissions by 715 tonnes of CO2 and 13 tonnes of NOx. Following that, with the extension of the fleet to five zero-emission vessels, the decrease will be boosted even further.
The next generation of ZES charging stations will be set up at several strategic locations to deliver fully-charged ZESpacks to the Den Bosch Max Groen and, eventually, the Den Bosch Max Blauw, Nijmegen Max, Venray Max, and Roermond Max.
In the first quarter of 2024, the first charging station will be built at the BCTN port in Alblasserdam. Charging stations will be installed at Den Bosch (BCTN terminal), Moerdijk, and the Prins Johan Friso Port in Rotterdam shortly after.
