PSA Antwerp adds 18 hybrid straddle carriers

PSA Antwerp has taken delivery of 18 hybrid straddle carriers at the North Sea Terminal, continuing its terminal equipment renewal programme and supporting more sustainable port operations.

PSA Antwerp adds 18 hybrid straddle carriers

The new machines include models that can stack containers three rows high and others capable of reaching four rows, replacing older diesel units and helping to stabilise container handling services.

The hybrid carriers combine diesel engines with battery systems that recover and reuse energy, reducing fuel consumption and cutting around 1,180 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

In addition to lowering emissions, the new equipment offers increased operational reliability and requires less maintenance, while overall handling capacity remains unchanged.

Jurgen De Wachter, General Manager of PSA Antwerp, said: “The arrival of these new straddle carriers is a concrete example of how we are modernising our terminal step by step while working on our climate goals.”

Damien Cols, Director Global Customers at Kalmar, added: “Our hybrid straddle carriers have been developed for intensive container operations and support terminal operators in reducing their environmental impact within existing operational preconditions.”

The delivery forms part of PSA Antwerp’s wider horizontal transport renewal strategy, where hybrid technology is increasingly deployed as the preferred solution for lowering emissions in heavy terminal operations.

In February, PSA Antwerp received five new mega ship-to-shore cranes at Europa Terminal, the largest ever ordered for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.