Splash247: DP World expands terminal electrification across Chile

Published by Splash247

DP World has deployed seven electric internal transfer vehicles and a dedicated charging station at its San Antonio terminal in Chile under a $1.5m equipment programme.

The new tractors will handle about 12% of container movements between the quay and yard. DP World expects them to eliminate up to 120,000 litres of diesel use and cut carbon dioxide emissions by around 329 tonnes annually.

The installation makes the facility the first terminal in central Chile to operate a fleet of fully electric internal transfer vehicles.

A 300 kW fast charger with two connections has been installed at the terminal. When charging two tractors simultaneously, the system can take their batteries from 20% to 80% in around one hour.

The charging station will draw electricity from renewable sources. DP World said its San Antonio operations have used entirely renewable electricity since 2021, helping to cut the terminal’s carbon emissions by more than half over four years.

San Antonio becomes DP World’s second terminal in the Americas with dedicated electric vehicle charging infrastructure after its South Pier facility in Callao, Peru. A further station is under construction at Caucedo in the Dominican Republic.

The Chilean rollout follows the commissioning earlier this year of the country’s first fully electric reach stacker at DP World’s Lirquén terminal. That machine is expected to replace about 60,000 litres of diesel and avoid 160 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.