Evaluating costs and potential emission reductions from electrification of cargo handling equipment in a seaport

Diesel-powered cargo handling equipment used in ports contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification of container handling equipment presents a viable pathway to reduce these emissions. While some studies have explored zero-emission cargo handling equipment, including cost and emission analyses presented in white papers, peer-reviewed research on the cost-effectiveness of such electrification efforts remains limited. This paper addresses this gap by evaluating the cost of emission reductions achieved through the electrification of cargo handling equipment at the Mussalo harbor, Port of HaminaKotka in Kotka, Finland, focusing on electric cargo handling equipment options currently available on the market. Using a combination of site-specific data from the Mussalo harbor and generic data from the literature, the study compares the total annual cost of a fully electric cargo handling equipment fleet with that of a diesel-powered fleet. Emissions associated with both fleet types are also estimated. The cost of emission reductions is then calculated by dividing the difference in the total annual cost by the corresponding difference in emissions. The results indicate that the cost of reducing one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions ranges from €192 to €311, depending on the selected cost of capital. The study also provides a sensitivity analysis.