PSA Antwerp has become the latest terminal operator to join the Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA), an industry-wide strategic coalition formed to expedite the adoption of battery-electric cargo-handling equipment and reduce emissions from port activities.
Established in 2023 by DP World and APM Terminals, ZEPA brings together terminal operators, ports, and equipment manufacturers to address the technical and financial barriers to port decarbonisation. The alliance seeks to enhance interoperability between equipment supplied by different manufacturers and promote standardisation of charging infrastructure, two of the most significant challenges impeding electrification efforts.
Edward Tah, Managing Director of PSA Belgium, commented on the decision: ‘Equipment from different manufacturers often lacks full interoperability, and there are very few standardised charging infrastructure solutions available. Battery-electric port equipment also requires significant investments. Through this alliance, we aim to accelerate the transition by working closely with other front-runners to scale up zero-emission equipment.’
PSA Antwerp operates three container terminals within the Port of Antwerp and handles breakbulk, steel and RoRo cargo at its multipurpose facilities. The company’s decision to join ZEPA is in line with PSA International’s environmental strategy, which includes a target to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030, compared with 2019 levels, and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
A central element of PSA Antwerp’s emissions reduction strategy is the Green Straddle Carrier Programme, which involves evaluating and introducing fully electric straddle carriers. A pilot electric unit was deployed at the terminal in 2023. According to the company, straddle carriers are a major source of its direct emissions in Belgium.
‘Straddle carriers are essential for our daily terminal operations but are also responsible for the vast majority of our direct emissions in Belgium,’ said Francis De Ruytter, Regional Head of Sustainability for PSA Europe, Mediterranean and the Americas. ‘That is why we are investing heavily in our Green Straddle Carrier Programme.’
PSA Antwerp is also investing in sustainable infrastructure, including a 7.5-megawatt shore power installation at its Europa Terminal, scheduled for completion in 2026. The facility will allow up to 100 container vessels annually to draw electricity from the grid while berthed, reducing CO2 emissions by an estimated 10,309 tonnes per year.
Electrification of port operations is gaining momentum across Europe as stakeholders respond to increasing regulatory and commercial pressures to cut emissions. While overall throughput at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges fell by 4.3% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, container volumes rose by 3.7% to 6.91 million TEUs, illustrating the growing importance of sustainable container terminal operations.
