HUTCHISON Ports BEST has put into operation at its terminal in the Port of Barcelona the first electric reach stacker in Southern Europe.

This new acquisition is part of a plan to reduce the carbon footprint of the terminal, making it the most sustainable and efficient terminal in southern Europe, reports Greece's Container News.

With this move, the Spanish terminal begins to replace equipment that operates with a combustion engine and diesel fuel with all-electric machinery that uses lithium batteries.

The installation of the electric reach stacker, manufactured by Sany, is a significant step towards the decarbonization of the terminal's operations, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Guillermo Belcastro, CEO of Hutchison Ports BEST, commented: "Society in general and consumers in particular are increasingly demanding the sustainable treatment of products from the point of production to their distribution, including the entire supply chain, and here BEST is already a differentiating factor. Currently, each container that passes through the BEST terminal reduces emissions by almost 70 per cent compared to a conventional terminal."

The implementation of this machine will avoid emissions equivalent to 260 tonnes of CO2e per year thanks to its efficiency and use electricity from 100 per cent renewable sources. This significant reduction in the carbon footprint will benefit air quality in the Port of Barcelona.

The next step will be the connection of the first container ship to 100 per cent green electricity this September through the On Shore Power Supply (OPS) system, also being the first terminal in Southern Europe to offer this service to its customers.