About PIONEERS
PIONEERS addresses the challenges faced by European ports to reduce their environmental impact while remaining competitive and offering added value in a sustainable global trade ecosystem.
Description of success
Antwerp Terminal Services (ATS), a joint venture between MSC PSA Europe Terminal (MPET) and PSA Antwerp (PSAA), launched the world’s first hydrogen dual fuel straddle carrier in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
Using state-of-the-art hydrogen dual fuel combustion engine technology, developed by cleantech company CMB.TECH and integrated into a straddle carrier with the support of ATS, the machine runs on a mix of hydrogen and diesel. It can therefore play an important role in reducing terminal greenhouse gas emissions.
Highlights
- The dual fuel technology can replace 70% of diesel consumption with hydrogen on new straddle carriers, with the eventual goal of 100% hydrogen injection.
- Following a 24-month design and development phase, the partners are now testing the dual fuel straddle carrier’s performance in live operations at PSAA’s Noordzee Terminal.
- They will evaluate how to improve the design of the equipment, as well as other factors that are necessary to scale up new technology, including the supply and storage of hydrogen for an entire fleet.
Outputs
The tests with the first dual fuel hydrogen straddle carrier prototypes are part of the MPET & PSAA Green Straddle Carrier Programme. Within the programme, the terminal operators are holistically evaluating four major technological pathways to significantly reduce the vehicles’ carbon emissions in their actual working environment through the use of hydrogen, biofuel, hybrid battery/diesel and full electrification. The test results will determine which solution the partners will eventually scale up.
Impact
Demonstrating to the world that clean hydrogen in a port terminal environment is a realistic alternative clean fuel. More specifically, the decarbonisation of container handling means it is possible to safely use hydrogen in a container terminal environment and use hydrogen in combustion engines.
Lessons
Huge opportunities are presented by EU-funded activities such as PIONEERS that support start-up and technological enterprises (e.g., the joint venture Antwerp Terminal Services), developing highly innovative solutions to reduce carbon emissions in the port sector, with the aim of transforming ports into green infrastructures by 2050 and energy hubs.
Other information
Watch a short video of the project.
A photo of some of the individuals involved in PIONEERS:
