MPET TERMINAL

Recently, the very first fully electric container lift on the European mainland has been operating at PSA’s MPET terminal in the port of Antwerp.

Manufacturer Konecranes applied the latest battery technology during its construction, so that the e-straddle carrier can run continuously for more than four hours. A charge takes about 90 minutes. In the coming months, MPET will evaluate how the container lift performs in live operations, while Antwerp Terminal Services (ATS) will look at how the equipment can be improved. ATS will also investigate other factors required to scale up this new technology.

The research is part of the Green Straddle Carrier program, in which terminal operators are evaluating four technology paths to reduce their vehicles’ carbon emissions in their real-world environment: all-electric, hydrogen, battery/diesel and biofuel. Its results determine which technology is eventually scaled up.