DP World picks up momentum on electrification projects at Port of Santos, Brazil

UAE-based DP World is speeding up its adoption of renewable energy at the Port of Santos, Brazil’s leading multipurpose private terminal, with the end goal being carbon neutrality by 2040.

The initial phase focuses on replacing diesel fuel with electric power for the Santos terminal’s rubber tyred gantry (RTGs) container handling cranes.

A total of 22 diesel-fuelled units will be electrified, by the end of next year, with an investment over $16.2m.

The first RTG machine in the fleet already operates sustainably on 100 per cent electric power and by the end of 2023, another four machines will be converted.

Electrification efforts

The electrification process works through a system of overhead cables similar to electric buses. Applying this innovative technology to RTGs will not only reduce the terminal’s diesel consumption by up to 60 per cent.

“The conversion of the RTGs is a critical step in our decarbonisation efforts and aligns with our overall focus on sustainability. In addition to improved environmental care and climate performance, this change is also expected to bring additional operational benefits, as the technology offers low maintenance costs, increased productivity of the RTGs, and improved equipment reliability,” explained Fábio Siccherino, CEO of DP World Santos.

DP World’s executive vice president, International Projects Mohammed Al Muallem met with Geraldo Alckmin, vice president of Brazil in Brasilia this week to discuss cooperation and DP World’s planned investments at the Port of Santos.

DP World is already investing $35m this year to expand and modernise its facilities.

The company has an additional 130,000 square metres available for expansion in the port area and has been working intensively on cargo diversification and developing logistical solutions that serve the entire international trade chain.

The Santos terminal is already one of the largest and most modern private multi-purpose port terminals Brazil. The expansion will increase annual container handling capacity from 1.2 million TEUs to 1.4 million TEUs and expand the size of the quay from 1,100 metres to 1,300 metres. This is DP World’s third round of investment since it began operations in July 2013.

The RTG electrification project is part of a global sustainability strategy called “Our World, Our Future”.

Under the strategy, DP World will adopt renewable energy sources for all its port equipment across the 75 countries where it operates.

Last year, chairman and Group CEO, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, announced that the company intends to invest up to $500m to reduce global carbon emissions from its operations by nearly 700,000 tonnes over the next five years. It has already cut direct carbon emissions from its global operations by 5 per cent in 2022, according to its latest ESG report.

Zero landfill project at DP World Santos

DP World Santos became the first port terminal in Brazil to no longer send waste to landfills after implementing the Zero Landfill project last year. Instead, all waste generated at the terminal is either recycled or converted into sustainable energy for industrial activities.

Since the beginning of the project, over 479.40 tonnes of solid waste have been diverted from landfills.

DP World Santos has also invested over $2.4m in more than 30 projects focused on the region’s fauna and flora. It has also rescued over 35,000 plants and seeds, with biomass and plant waste reuse, and monitored coastal dunes and mangroves.

This is alongside the monitoring and management of terrestrial fauna in the region where the terminal was built, aiming to preserve species in locations authorised by Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama), and the conservation of over 50 hectares of mangroves and coastal dunes in the surrounding area.