In a concerted effort to incentivise haulage companies to increase the proportion of emission-free trucks more rapidly, two terminal operators at the Port of Gothenburg join forces as part of a new project named “Green Priority”. By offering defined efficiency benefits to customers that have made the move to electric, the operators are seeking to accelerate the switch to the use of emission-free trucks at the port

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest port in the Nordic Region with frequent arrivals and departures by sea and land. On the land side, nearly one million truck movements are made each year, of which nearly half are made at Stena Lines Gothenburg-Kiel-terminal or at the Gothenburg RoRo Terminal.

From 1 January 2022, green trucks will be given priority at the two terminals. With “Green Priority” in place, green trucks will be allowed to bypass queues at the terminals. On entering the terminals, the trucks will be guided directly to the vessel or to dedicated Green Priority collection and delivery spaces. This applies to all trucks that are battery-powered or have a fuel cell powertrain.

“Our goal is to grow sustainably in partnership with our customers. At Stena Line we are adopting new measures on a daily basis as part of our sustainable transition, and we will incentivise our customers to follow suit on the road to establishing fossil-free operations. With the Green Priority project, we offer defined efficiency benefits to companies that use electrically powered trucks, which is not only a boost for the companies but also for our climate in the short, medium, and long term,” said Niclas Mårtensson, Stena Line chief executive.

The actual process can vary slightly depending on the specific conditions at the terminals although the basic principle remains the same – green trucks will be given priority. The purpose is to reduce the threshold for the greening of the haulage companies’ vehicle fleets. According to the terminal operators, it is only fair that haulage companies that invest in electrically powered trucks are rewarded with defined efficiency benefits and shorter lead times.

“The rationale behind the Green Priority project is to demonstrate how the transition to fossil-free fuels can have a tangible impact on industry. Although the transition of the transport sector as a whole will require far more time and effort, with Green Priority we have a clear, readily accessible concept that is a significant step along the way. We have the opportunity and capacity to add an extra green lane at our terminal, and it will be very interesting to see how Green Priority evolves,” said Maria Franksen, Gothenburg RoRo Terminal chief executive.

The Green Priority project is part of the Tranzero Initiative, where Stena Line, Volvo Group, Scania, and the Gothenburg Port Authority have come together to speed up the transition of the haulage sector to fossil-free fuels. The overall goal is to reduce port-related emissions by 70 per cent by 2030.