Antwerp Terminal Services (ATS) and CMB.TECH has launched the ‘world’s first’ hydrogen dual fuel straddle carrier at the Port of Antwerp.
ATS is a joint venture between MSC PSA Europe Terminal (MPET) and PSA Antwerp (PSAA), and supported developer CMB.TECH with the integration in a straddle carrier, which runs on a mix of hydrogen and diesel.
Following a 24-month design and development period, the two companies will now begin testing the dual fuel straddle carrier’s in live operations at PSAA’s Noordzee Terminal, evaluating how to scale up the technology, including the supply and storage of hydrogen for an entire fleet.
The next stage will be supported by PIONEERS, an EU funded project and coordinated by the Port of Antwerp-Burges, and it is part of the Horizon 2020 programme that supports and promotes the development of specific solutions to reduce carbon emissions in the port sector.
Roy Campe, CTO of CMB.TECH, said, “Ports have already been identified as hotspots for hydrogen technology. Because of the heavy use of straddle carriers, dual fuel technology can offer the right balance between lowering emissions and retaining operation performance, robustness and cost-effectiveness.”
Antwerp-based CMB.TECH is known for developing and building hydrogen and ammonia-powered large marine and industrial applications. Its dual fuel technology is expected to be capable of replacing 70% of diesel consumption with hydrogen on new straddle carriers, with the eventual aim of 100% hydrogen injection.
ATS, MPET and PSAA all have aims of reducing their carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, in alignment with the UN Paris Climate Agreement and the EU Green Deal.
Francis De Ruytter, Regional Head of Sustainability for PSA Europe, Mediterranean and the Americas, said, “Straddle carriers are crucial in maintaining highly productive operations at our terminals, but at the same time they are responsible for approximately 90% of our direct emissions in Belgium.
“While at Europa Terminal, we are gradually moving towards automated stacking cranes in the yard, we realise that straddle carriers will remain a key element in our equipment fleet for years to come. That is why we are now investing in a programme that examines various technological options and partners to make these vehicles more sustainable.”
