A project to convert diesel-powered Rubber Tyred Gantry cranes (RTG) to electric power has won the Port of Felixstowe Environment Award.
The award recognises the reduced emissions in the port as a result of the ‘eRTG’ project, carried out by mobile electrification systems specialist VAHLE.
Jessica Briggs, energy and environment manager at the port, said: “I am very proud to present the Port of Felixstowe Environment Award to the eRTG project, as this project represents significant investment from our business into energy efficiency and carbon reduction. The reduced environmental impact of the converted fleet is already demonstrable, which is encouraging when considering future footprint reducing activities on site”
The conversions resulted in an 8% reduction in the Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) concentration in 2016 over 2015.
The port says the reduced emissions have already reflected in improved air quality standards around the facility, which is the UK’s first container terminal.
The port, which is holding an environmental fair to celebrate World Environment Day on 5 June, created the Environment Award to recognise both the large and small scale projects happening at the port that demonstrate a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its operations.
Other projects at the port involving VAHLE include an automatic arm solution for 58 retrofit RTGs and the electrification for 51 container blocks with 13.250m steel work and conductor rails. To date 24 container blocks and 32 RTGs have been completed.
VAHLE aims to use more renewable energy in its applications. It says implementation of this would guarantee independency of the ports against increasing prices of oil and e-power in the future.
