Cargill, a leading food production and processing company, has joined forces with maritime services provider Kotug International to launch the world’s first fully electric pusher tug and barges to transport cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam to Cargill’s cocoa factory in Zaandam, the Netherlands.
The Port of Amsterdam serves as the largest cocoa import port globally, making the partnership a significant step toward sustainable cocoa transportation.
Pusher tugs and barges are essential for efficiently delivering goods from Dutch ports. By deploying fully electrified vessels, Cargill becomes the first company worldwide to achieve emission-free and noise-free inland shipping.
The zero-emission vessel, named E-Pusher 1, is equipped with cutting-edge propulsion systems and state-of-the-art technology that eliminates harmful emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM). E-Pusher 1 is the first vessel in KOTUG’s E-Pusher Series of modular and scalable electrically powered pusher boats for the transportation of a wide range of cargoes. Notably, these electric pusher tugs and barges are projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 190,000 kg annually, equivalent to the environmental impact of 15,000 one-way trips by truck from the Port of Amsterdam to Cargill’s cocoa factory in Zaandam.
Known as the type M, the E-Pusher 1 can push barges with up to 4.000 tons of cargo. The vessel is equipped with a swappable container battery from Shift Clean Energy (Shift) and powered by green energy sourced from the wind farm operated jointly by Cargill and Vattenfall through Windpark Hanze.
“Cargill is committed to nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way,” said Emiel van Dijk, Managing Director of Cocoa & Chocolate Europe & West Africa at Cargill. “Electrifying the transportation of our cocoa beans is just one example of how we are implementing new, innovative sustainable practices to reduce our impact on the planet and protect people.”
Ard-Jan Kooren, President & CEO of KOTUG International, thanked Cargill for their partnership in the initiative.
“Together, we are making history and reshaping the future of maritime transportation,” said Jan Kooren. “This ground-breaking achievement aligns with our mission to provide sustainable solutions to the maritime industry. By introducing the world’s first zero-emission vessel of this setup, we aim to inspire other shipping companies, governments, and stakeholders to embrace clean energy solutions and make significant strides towards achieving the global climate goals for the next generation.”
By Alex Longley (Bloomberg) — Russia is still relying on European shipping to transport its oil even as the country’s supplies exceed Group-of-Seven price caps, according to a researcher. Roughly two-thirds...
SEACOR Holdings Inc. has announced the sale of Seabulk Towing Holdings’ U.S. harbor towing operations and tugs to E.N. Bisso & Son Inc. and Bay-Houston Towing Co. The transactions include...
KYIV, Sept 25 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s Special Forces said on Monday that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, the commander of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, had been killed in a Ukrainian attack last week on...
13 hours ago
Total Views: 844
Let gCaptain be your compass for maritime news
The news that you need delivered every morning.
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
We’ve got your daily industry news related to the global maritime and offshore industries.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
JOIN OUR CREW
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 93,898 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.