Nine out of ten goods come to Sweden by sea. Many of them come to the Port of Helsingborg, Sweden's second largest and one of northern Europe's leading container ports. Eight million tons of goods were loaded and unloaded here last year.
The cars in the port have already been electrified and now the first step in electrifying the heavy vehicles has been taken: the investment in four electric terminal tractors from the Dutch company Terberg that will drive containers to and from the boats in the three-kilometer long port. Each electric terminal tractor will contribute to an annual reduction in emissions of 5.6 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. Since the tractors do not emit any pollutants such as nitrogen or sulfur oxides, the air quality in the port will also improve significantly.
Bart Steijaert, CEO of the Port of Helsingborg says: “We strive to be the most modern port in the Nordic region and our extensive sustainability work is an important part of that. Investments in innovative technology that increase capacity and improve sustainability are a condition for achieving our sustainability goals.”
Four electric terminal tractors will drive containers to and from the boats in the three-kilometer long port. Photo: Charlotte Carlberg Bärg 
ABB's Terra DC fast charger is a robust solution that can deliver the high power that the electrical terminal tractors require. Photo: Charlotte Carlberg Bärg 
The Port of Helsingborg is the first port in Sweden to use electrical terminal tractors, powered by ABB’s charging infrastructure. Photo: Charlotte Carlberg Bärg 
Jenny Miltell, ABB Electrification. Photo: Pia Nordlander, bildN
A port area with a lot of goods and heavy traffic is a challenging environment to electrify. It places demands on robust DC chargers with high power and therefor they chose Terra 184 that can charge one vehicle at full power or share the power and charge two vehicles simultaneously. The four high-power Terra 184 (180 kW) chargers from ABB was delivered by the technical distributor Rexel.
“ABB's Terra DC fast charger is a robust solution that can deliver the high power that the electrical terminal tractors require. Thanks to the fact that ABB develops both software and hardware, we have a very deep competence in electrification. This is something that benefits our customers both locally and globally”, says Jenny Miltell, sales representative at ABB Electrification in Sweden. “This investment is a first important step for the Port of Helsingborg to reach its goal to become completely fossil-free. But one of the most significant advantages, besides the reduced environmental impact, is a quieter and more ergonomic work environment for employees both driving the tractors and working within their proximity.”
In the Port of Helsingborg, the electrical infrastructure has been planned so that the tractors with small charging breaks will be able to handle a full day's production without any longer changings. Simulations of the vehicle’s charging cycles have been drafted and logically follow the daily operations schedule and charge when employees are on breaks. Simplicity has been important, and ABB’s fast chargers have been placed in locations easily accessible to employees.
The first phase includes testing of four tractors and four chargers, with the port planning to source additional electrified terminal tractors to meet its targets of using completely fossil-free heavy vehicles by 2024.
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 105,000 talented employees in over 100 countries. www.abb.com
