PORT OF TANJUNG PELEPAS TO IMPLEMENT ELECTRIFICATION INITIATIVE FOR PORT TRUCK FLEET

ISKANDAR PUTERI, Dec 22 (Bernama) --  Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), a joint-venture company between MMC Group and Netherlands-based APM Terminals, continues to move forward with the electrification of its port truck fleet, which is scheduled to be implemented next year.

PTP said in a statement that the initiative represents a significant step in driving its sustainability agenda and digital transformation, carried out through an agreement with Terberg Tractors Malaysia (TTM) for the procurement of electric prime movers (e-PM), or port trucks, for internal terminal operations.

The e-PM fleet comprises 52 units, which form part of a total order of 94 units, with the remaining units powered by conventional fuel.

Its chairman, Tan Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, said the initiative not only reflects PTP’s efforts to enhance its operational capabilities but also coincides with PTP’s 25th anniversary. “PTP’s decarbonisation agenda has been underway for quite some time, based on the awareness that this step is crucial to ensuring a sustainable future for the port as well as the wider maritime industry. Our roadmap targets a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030, based on a 2021 baseline,” he said.

PTP chief executive officer Mark Hardiman said the procurement is part of PTP’s key growth plan, which focuses on optimising existing capacity while ensuring that equipment readiness aligns with the growth trajectory. According to him, it supports the company’s goal of increasing terminal handling capacity to about 16 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) within the next two and a half years.

“The Proof of Concept (PoC) results showed that an e-PM produces 4,000 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide equivalent (kgCO₂eq) per month compared to 7,600 kgCO₂eq for a conventional unit, achieving a 48 per cent reduction in emissions, along with a 57 per cent reduction in monthly operating costs per unit.

“In addition to the new e-PM fleet, we have also purchased five small electric forklifts (e-SF) and tested them under real operating conditions. We are also involved in international collaborations, including the GreenVoyage2050 initiative by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Australian Partnership for Infrastructure (P4I), and have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Port of Melbourne on sustainable port operations.

“PTP is fully committed to maritime decarbonisation efforts and responsible port growth,” he said.

The procurement agreement signing ceremony saw Hardiman and TTM chief executive officer Boo Wei Ching sign and exchange the agreement documents at PTP. The port trucks are scheduled for delivery in 2026 as part of the agreement, and TTM will also provide maintenance services for a period of 24 months.

Boo said PTP will become the first port in Malaysia to introduce e-PMs from TTM and expressed hope of achieving higher levels of performance and innovation through the collaboration with PTP.

PTP has been recognised by Alphaliner as the world’s fastest-growing port this year with a growth rate of 15.4 per cent, and is also a major Asian hub under the Gemini Cooperation.

The port also recorded outstanding operational performance this year, particularly when it surpassed the 13 million TEUs benchmark for the first time in its history on Dec 6, making PTP the first single terminal in Malaysia to achieve this annual record.

PTP handles an average of about 1.2 million TEUs per month without congestion, and achieves more than 15,000 moves in a single 12-hour shift. These achievements demonstrate the terminal’s exceptional capability and operational excellence, reflecting the precision, discipline, and coordination that drive PTP’s continued success as Malaysia’s busiest transshipment hub.

-- BERNAMA