The Port of Rotterdam Authority, together with Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN), has commissioned an exploratory study to gain better insight into the feasibility of making container transport by road more sustainable in the port area.
The most important outcome is that the purchase of a battery-electric truck will be an attractive proposition by 2024. From that point, an E-truck will be cheaper across its entire service life than a diesel truck.
The Port Authority aims to be a CO₂-neutral port by 2050 and, to achieve this, is focusing on the energy transition in industry as well as on port logistics operations, such as transport across the port area. Particularly the transport of containers by road is a focal point. Because, even just focusing on short journeys (under 30 kilometres), some 12,000 take place across the port every day. Were these journeys to be emission-free, this would save around half a megaton in CO₂.
Ambition for 2040
The approach fits entirely within the Deltalinqs, TLN, evofenedex and Port of Rotterdam Authority joint ambition to ensure that short-distance, port-related journeys by road are emission-free by 2040.
To achieve this ambition, many more developments will need to take place. For instance, there are currently no electric trucks available for container transport. This can change as a result of technological developments, price reductions and capacity increases in batteries and powertrains. It is expected that electric trucks will eventually become the optimal form of transport across many distances. This demands the availability and optimised use of a good charging infrastructure.
Switching to electric trucks prevents CO₂ emissions from the engine and trucks charged using green electricity are even zero-emission. An additional advantage is the reduction in noise nuisance from freight traffic.
Source: Port of Rotterdam