DaChan Bay Terminals has announced the completion of a conversion programme to discontinue operation of all its diesel container trucks, making it the first terminal in Shenzhen to eliminate the use of diesel in all in-yard tractors.
DaChan Bay Terminals in western Shenzhen is operated by Modern Terminals Limited.
The final batch of battery-swap tractors was delivered in late July and all units have been put into operation since then.
DaChan Bay Terminals noted that the electric tractor fleet has been running smoothly and no diesel tractor is used in the daily operations. As a result, 72% and 28% of the internal haulage fleet at DaChan Bay Terminals are battery-swap tractors and LNG-powered tractors respectively.
The reduction is expected to cut around 3,520 tonnes of direct carbon emissions each year—about 62% of the terminals’ Scope 1 emissions. It brings Modern Terminals closer to its target of phasing out direct emissions from operations in DaChan Bay and Hong Kong by 2030, with a longer-term goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050.
[Photo: DaChan Bay Terminals]
Horace Lo, group managing director of Modern Terminals Limited said: "This is indeed an important milestone in our decarbonisation journey. We would not have been able to achieve this without the unwavering support from the local government and our internal haulage contractors."
"We have selected the battery-swap tractors as it only takes less than 5 minutes for the swapping process. We are considering to adopt the same approach in our terminal facility in Hong Kong."
The deployment of battery-swap tractors brings multiple benefits beyond emissions reduction, including improved air quality, lower noise levels, and reduced vibration for drivers' comfort — creating a more pleasant and quieter environment for people working at the terminals and the surrounding communities.
DaChan Bay Terminals has taken several early steps in reducing emissions, including deploying a full fleet of electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes in 2007, introducing shore power at all berths in South China by 2019, and launching Shenzhen's first electric tugboat in mid-July.
