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, reports APM Terminals.
About ZEPA
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 decarbonization and make BE-CHE affordable and accessible within this decade. The new members bring vital insights, contacts, and a strong drive for decarbonization 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, at 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 emphasized 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’s 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 Aggregate Demand
Measure and report projected aggregated global demand for BE-CHE, to incentivize 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 harmonizing operational requirements and identifying potential for charging strategy harmonization and component standardization. Any design standards will be voluntary, public, and accessible, without enforcement. The deliverables do not prevent stakeholders from 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.
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Source: APM Terminals
