New electric TTs for Porto Itapoá

The R$20 million (US$3.5 million) investment in the terminal tractors is part of expansion plans and sees the port boast the largest fleet of electric TTs among terminals in Brazil.

Sergni Pessoa Rosa Jr., director of Operations, Technology, and Environment at Porto Itapoá, said the move to electric would save 858 thousand litres of fuel each year. “As a result, we will prevent two thousand tonnes of carbon emissions per year into the atmosphere,” he said.

The TTs will be charged within the terminal itself, which since last year has moved to 100% energy from renewable sources.

Each vehicle can carry up to 65 tonnes and has a range of 150 km, equivalent to around ten hours of work before needing recharging.

Expansion

In April this year, Porto Itapoá began the third phase of its terminal expansion, adding another 200 thousand square metres of yard space, including an 8,000m² warehouse, at a cost of R$815 million (US$144 million).

The port now operates one of the largest container yards in Brazil, totalling 455,000m² and handling up to 2 million teu per year. The upgrade also included the acquisition of remote-controlled hybrid rubber-tyred gantry cranes, reportedly a first in South America.