Rotterdam World Gateway Investing in CO₂ Neutral Container Handling

For Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) being future‐proof means doing business with an eye for people and the environment. That is why RWG is investing in fully CO₂ neutral container handling at the terminal in the Port of Rotterdam.

From the start of its build, RWG is firmly committed to sustainability and continuously strives to achieve maximum efficiency in the storage and transhipment of containers. We do everything we can to continue innovating and growing where possible. Our vision is that today’s investments should never be at the expense of tomorrow’s quality of life. We care about people, the environment and society, and feel that ecological aspects are just as important as economic ones. That is why we are in constant dialogue with our stakeholders and already operate as sustainably as possible.

RWG already limits CO₂ emissions to a minimum: all our cranes and many of our vehicles, such as the automated guided vehicles (AGVs), run on green electricity. Where possible, we also generate our own energy. In addition, RWG is the first deep‐sea terminal to be ‘LNG ready’. The transition from fuel oil to LNG as a sustainable fuel is an important step in making shipping more sustainable. We facilitate this development not only to be able to work sustainably, but also to reduce the impact on the environment and on society.

Thanks to extensive electrification and automation, RWG already has the lowest emissions in the sector. In the coming years, RWG will be investing in making container handling at the terminal completely CO₂ neutral, so that by 2024 we will be one of the first terminals in the world to have reduced emissions to zero.

Ronald Lugthart, CEO at RWG said, “We at RWG are committed to sustainable and clean operations. Our goal to be completely emission‐free from 2024 onwards is not only ambitious, but also necessary regarding future generations.”

A number of modifications are required to reduce emissions to zero. For example, the current container handling equipment with combustion engines, which already use the cleaner fuel GTL (gas to liquid), will be replaced by fully electric equipment. Next to that, the electrical and civil infrastructure will be upgraded to provide, among others, high power charger points.

In the road to becoming CO₂ neutral, it is technically not possible to prevent all emissions immediately. That is why RWG has entered into a partnership with Shell to offset the remaining CO₂ emissions by investing in Shell’s Nature‐Based Solutions program which has been validated by Kiwa. These are projects aimed at protecting and restoring natural areas, thus allowing CO₂ emissions to be absorbed by nature.

Source Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG)