Logistics giant DP World recently unveiled eight fully electric straddle carriers as it works toward improving unrivaled sustainability objectives.
The machines move cargo containers and other freight at port terminals without using cranes or forklifts. The $15 million contraptions will feature at London Gateway, where an all-electric berth is under construction and scheduled to be completed this quarter, Container News reported.
The fleet will be the first at a port to be powered solely by electricity.
"The arrival of the electric straddle carriers is another milestone for the world's first all-electric berth, following the delivery of the two largest quay cranes in Europe earlier this year," Ahsan Agha, vice president of port operations at DP World London Gateway, said. "When operational, the berth will future-proof DP World's UK operations by continuing to service the largest container ships in existence and acting as a springboard to extend our reach into the supply chain."
Each carrier weighs 68.3 tons and can operate for four hours after a 45-minute charge. They will help the state-owned United Arab Emirates company in its push to electrify its port and terminal equipment, which is spread across 78 countries, by 2050.
Similar breakthroughs in electric machines promise to transform the industry. For one, the world's largest land-based electric crane could revolutionize the construction of offshore wind farms.
The buy-in of global leaders in this space is especially important, as rapidly rising temperatures caused by polluting gases produced by sources of dirty energy such as oil, gas, and coal threaten communities, crops, wildlife, and the environment at large.
DP World recently announced that London Gateway and Southampton, its U.K. terminals, are fossil-diesel-free, instead using hydrotreated vegetable oil. It was named the Sustainability Company of the Year at Multimodal 2023, the most prestigious event in U.K. logistics.
Agha said the business' technological developments will help European customers remain competitive by managing costs, maintaining reliability, and improving speed.
DP World handles 10% of global trade, and its $432 million berth project will increase its capacity by one-third, according to a news release.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Cool Picks
