Zero Emission Services (ZES) - co-founded by the Port Authority in 2020 to stimulate, among other things, electric waterborne transport - has received a €50m investment from the National Growth Fund for the accelerated implementation of their innovative system solution for inland navigation, according to the Port of Rotterdam's release.
The investment will be used for the development of 75 battery containers for maritime application (ZESpacks), 14 docking stations where the ZESpacks are loaded and 45 electrified inland vessels.
If there is no simultaneous investment in electrically powered ships, battery containers and charging infrastructure, the breakthrough towards zero-emission will not happen. ZESpacks cannot be used without ships with an electric power train and without charging infrastructure they cannot be recharged. Cooperation and coordination between the parties involved is crucial. The investment of 50 million makes it possible to invest simultaneously in the charging infrastructure, the energy carriers and the ships with an electric power train.