Dutch shipping companies electrify inland water route
The inland vessel MS Den Bosch Max Groen is now operating with exchangeable battery containers from ZES. The introduction of this service between Den Bosch and the port of Rotterdam is an important milestone for ZES. The electric transporter ship Den Bosch Max Groen was put into operation in the area in April 2024, following its announcement in 2023. This was not ZES’s first electric ship on the waterways, as its first battery-electric ship with swappable batteries was launched as early as 2021, named the Alphenaar.
Now, the route is not only home to multiple electric ships, but the accompanying battery swapping infrastructure is also in place. The ZES ships can now exchange containers at three locations, including Alphen aan den Rijn, Alblasserdam, and Den Bosch. Further terminals in Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Nijmegen are set to follow soon.
“By working together with ZES, Heineken and Nedcargo, we are achieving our sustainability ambitions. I am proud that the partners are showing such courage. This project is part of our broader strategy to keep the Netherlands both clean and accessible,” said Eduard Backer, CEO of ITG. He added: “It cuts CO2 emissions by 800 tonnes a year. That momentum must be carried forward. With battery swapping stations at our terminals we are making a concrete contribution to lowering emissions.”
This is not the end of the project, however, as the capacities for the existing infrastructure is to be expanded, as well as exploring further emissions-free options, including hydrogen transportation, as Backer further explained: “Alongside this battery-electric vessel, our group also operates a hydrogen-powered ship. Hydrogen is suited to longer distances, while battery containers are ideal for shorter shuttle services.”
Customers are already in place as well, as Piet-Hein Timp, Procurement Manager for Sustainability and Energy at Heineken, stated his company’s history with the shipping industry: “We started transporting containers by inland shipping in 2010. It is a positive development that ITG, in addition to CCT, is now also enabling battery-electric inland container transport. We hope to inspire other shippers to also make use of this sustainable option.”
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