Cargill partners with Kotug on world’s first zero-emission electric pusher boat and barge

Cargill has partnered with Dutch maritime company Kotug to deploy fully zero-emission, fully electric pusher boats and barges for transporting cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam. 

PHOTO: One of Kotug's electric pusher vessels docked with a barge in Amsterdam. Port of Amsterdam 

The electric pusher vessels and barges will carry cocoa beans from the Port of Amsterdam to Cargill’s cocoa factory in Zaandam, Netherlands. 

These are the first fully electrified pusher vessels and barges for inland shipping, and can eliminate harmful emissions like CO2, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter (PM), says Cargill. 

By replacing truck transport of cocoa, these vessels are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 190 mt/year, Cargill says. “This is equivalent to 15,000 one-way trips by truck from the Port of Amsterdam to Cargill’s cocoa factory in Zaandam,” it argues.  

The vessels will sail on renewable electricity generated from wind power from the wind farm that Cargill operates with Vattenfall, in partnership with Windpark Hanze.

Kotug's chief executive Ard-Jan Kooren says that “By introducing the world's first zero emission vessel of this set-up we aim to inspire other shipping companies, governments, and stakeholders to embrace clean energy solutions and make significant strides towards achieving the global climate goals for the next generation.”

“This sustainable mode of transport is in line with our vision of clean shipping and contributes to our goal of being a climate-neutral port by 2050,” the Port of Amsterdam said.

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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