A USD$10m project to convert cranes from diesel to electric-powered has reduced emissions at Sri Lanka’s Port of Colombo.
Colombo International Container Terminals (CICT) converted 40 of its diesel-operated rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to electric (E-RTGs) and deployed them at the company-managed Colombo South container terminal to achieve zero emissions operations, a 45% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and a diesel consumption reduction of more than 95%.
CICT CEO Ray Ren said: “This initiative demonstrates CICT’s as well as our parent company CMPort’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Port of Colombo and the maritime industry as a whole. We believe in leading from the front in the sphere of caring for the environment, even at a time when some stakeholders in the global industry are still said to be driven by costs rather than green ethics.”
The electrification of CICT’s RTG cranes involved modification work including fitting electricity collector trolleys in the cranes and constructing a conductor bar system (busbar) in the terminal for the cranes to function with electricity.
The company previously installed hybrid-diesel engines for its full fleet of rubber-tyred gantry cranes.
Mr Ren added that CICT plans to continue investing in emissions-reducing initiatives through environment-related projects.
