MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd. (MITSUI E&S) and its subsidiary company in the United States, PACECO Corp. (PACECO) announced that the commencement of commercial operations of the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell powered rubber-tyred gantry (RTG) Crane “MITSUI-Paceco H2-ZE Transtainer crane” at the Port of Los Angeles, setting a new standard for zero-emission port operations.
MITSUI E&S developed the H2-ZE Transtainer crane and announced its completion of the world’s first hydrogen-powered RTG at MITSUI Oita factory in April 2023. During development, it was verified that the same operational performance as the conventional diesel-powered Transtainer cranes can be achieved.
For this project, a newly bult H2-ZE Transtainer was delivered to Yusen Terminals Inc. and entered into commercial operation to validate data taken during the development phase for future improvements. This project is also part of an overall project encompassing a demonstration of the hydrogen supply chain from local production of clean hydrogen to the consumption point of port container handling equipment. which is partially subsidized by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).
Ports which serve as global logistics hubs, are a large emitter of CO2 and toxic substances from diesel exhaust and actively looking for solutions to eliminate emissions. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have a particularly aggressive goal in their Clean Air Action Plan of eliminating emissions of all cargo handling equipment by 2030.
Diesel powered RTGs, a workhorse yard crane common in terminals, are a significant producer of emissions. Use of hydrogen allows the H2-ZE Transtainer cranes to produce zero emissions without connecting to the electric grid, enabling the terminal operators to save on civil work investment and not impact current operating procedures. Modification of diesel powered RTGs at the port is also possible, reducing the time for terminals to meet port goals.
By supplying the H2-ZE Transtainer cranes both for brand new cranes and retrofitting of the existing diesel-powered fleet, MITSUI E&S, together with PACECO, continues contributing to the decarbonization of the ports.