HHLA increases charging stations and battery-powered AGVs in CTA

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) is to put another six environment-friendly energy charging stations for battery-powered automated container transporters (AGV) and 16 additional lithium-ion AGVs into operation at the Container Terminal Altenwerder (CTA) by late 2020 as part of its sustainability strategy, a press release said in September. 

HHLA expanding climate-friendly supply of energy

Two new charging stations, which were delivered to CTA in early September, will supply environment-friendly energy to the automated AGV fleet for transporting containers. Four more charging units will be delivered to the terminal in the coming weeks bringing the number of charging stations at CTA to 13 this year. Five more will be added in 2021. The increased supply of climate-friendly energy allows HHLA to ensure the continued operation of its growing battery-powered AGV fleet. Half of the vehicles in use are powered by lithium-ion batteries. By the end of 2022, nearly all of the 100 vehicles will be powered by lithium-ion batteries.

This will reduce annual emissions by approximately 15,500 tonnes of CO₂ and around 118 tonnes of nitrogen oxide as electric AGVs do not generate any local CO₂, nitrogen oxide or fine particulate matter emissions. The battery-powered vehicles ratio of energy consumed to actual power output is three times higher than that of diesel AGVs. Lithium-ion batteries can be charged in just one and a half hours, are highly durable and do not require maintenance making these vehicles economically attractive. 

Sustainability strategy 

Hamburg’s Ministry for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture is backing the conversion of CTA's fleet with funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the “Energy Transition in Companies" (Energiewende in Unternehmen) subsidy programme. HHLA’s sustainability strategy aims to halve CO2 emissions by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality across the group by 2040. CTA is already the world’s first, certified climate-neutral container handling facility. Terminal processes that produce CO2 emissions will be gradually electrified or their transition to electrical power will be field-tested. HHLA's overall goal is to reduce the need to compensate through an entirely battery-powered AGV fleet.

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