Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA) onboards leading organisations in container port industry

The Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA) announces the onboarding of 11 organizations from the container port industry. Among the members are APM Terminals, CATL, DP World, Kempower, Patrick Terminals, Port of Aarhus, Port of Rotterdam, Rocsys, Sany, SSA Marine, and ZPMC.

The ZEPA members are committed to accelerating the adoption of Battery-Electric Container Handling Equipment (BE-CHE) together. Their collective effort is aimed to take a significant step to speed up port decarbonisation and make BE-CHE affordable and accessible within this decade. The new members bring vital insights, contacts and a strong drive for decarbonisation to the alliance. The alliance is open to all industry partners and is run by an independent 3rd party Secretariat.

Sahar Rashidbeigi, Global Head of Decarbonisation, APM Terminals, stated: “Reflecting on our journey, it is incredible to see how far we have come since defining the problem at last year’s TOC Europe conference. From the ‘tipping point’ White Paper nine months ago to launching ZEPA with DP World in December during COP28, and now onboarding 11 key members across the value chain, our progress highlights that we are addressing a valuable problem that resonates across the industry, and it affirms our conviction that collaboration is essential to tackle it effectively.”

In the past months, ZEPA has conducted working sessions and initial analyses, and held its first formal Steering Committee during TOC Europe on June 11th.

ZEPA is led by its Steering Committee, which held its first successful meeting at TOC Europe in Rotterdam. During the meeting, ZEPA members highlighted their membership as a key priority in their efforts to reduce emissions and to bring forward the Total Cost of Ownership parity of battery electric equipment with diesel. Key industry leaders voiced their support and emphasised that change comes faster with cross-value chain collaboration. The alliance is designed and implemented in full compliance with all applicable anti-trust and competition laws, monitored by external legal counsel.

Representatives of ZEPA members were actively involved in several panels at TOC Europe, where the alliance' mission and progress were discussed, further emphasizing the urgency and collective effort required to reduce emissions. ZEPA has kicked off work in three (of the four) workstreams:

1. Projected Aggregated Demand

Measure and report projected aggregated global demand for BE-CHE, to incentivise Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to scale-up production and shorten their lead times.

2. Voluntary Design Standards

Develop voluntary and accessible design standards for untethered BE-CHE, to achieve economies of scale and simplify implementation through equipment interoperability and compatibility. This includes harmonising operational requirements and identifying potential for charging strategy harmonisation and component standardisation. Any design standards will be voluntary, public and accessible, without enforcement. The deliverables do not prevent stakeholders going beyond the standards in terms of BE-CHE performance. ZEPA actively seeks industry and public sector input in the process.

3. Power Infrastructure Rollout

Develop an electrification toolkit, including best practices and a technical checklist for port authorities and terminal operators to prepare for and implement the power infrastructure required for BE-CHE, shore power and other cargo segments at ports.

Stay tuned for more updates and for ZEPA publications end of year. Please find out more information on the work program and how to get involved on https://www.zepalliance.com and find the white paper on reaching a tipping point in BE-CHE here.

Invitation to Join ZEPA

ZEPA invites terminal operators, OEMs, and port authorities to join this important initiative. Please find out more on https://www.zepalliance.com, or reach out directly to zepalliance@systemiq.earth or one of its current members to initiate an exploratory conversion.

Image caption: ZEPA Steering Committee meeting at TOC Europe, Rotterdam. 11th June 2024.