APM Terminals and DP World today announce the formation of the Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA), an industry-wide strategic coalition with the goal of accelerating the journey to zero emissions for container handling equipment (CHE) at ports. ZEPA membership is open to all industry participants, including terminal operators, OEMs, port authorities and government entities. The alliance will start its activities in early 2024.
During the session to announce the alliance at COP28, APM Terminals and DP World explained that ZEPA will work to increase industry-wide adoption of battery-electric CHE and catalyse further emissions reductions at ports. The focus on battery-electric container handling equipment (BE-CHE) is grounded in research published in a white paper in October 2023, commissioned jointly by APM Terminals and DP World. The findings show that it is possible for BE-CHE to become as or more competitive than diesel CHE as it becomes more affordable, attractive, and accessible. The point where this happens can occur in the next 2-8 years, but only with focused collective action by the entire port ecosystem.
ZEPA’s work focuses on four key workstream objectives to overcome challenges in affordability and accessibility:
Encourage scaled up production capacity of BE-CHE by manufacturers & reduce product costs
Bring down the cost of batteries and charging solutions, simplify implementation and increase equipment interoperability
Ensure terminal operators and the grid infrastructure are ready for BE-CHE & shore power roll-out
Create better implementation conditions for zero-emission fleets and help accelerate adoption of zero-emission CHE
ZEPA members will inform the work program and deliverables based on their practical experience and needs. Through their membership, companies will accelerate the availability of affordable BE-CHE and will benefit from advantages gained from having a seat at the table in this industry-wide collective action.
ZEPA is governed to work in compliance with antitrust/competition laws and to foster transparency about the process and progress of its activities. Key findings will be accessible to the whole industry, not just ZEPA members.