The stands at the Terminal Operations Conference Europe have been dismantled, pictures have been posted and announcements delivered. But the key message from APM Terminals is not being packed away.

Global Head of Decarbonisation, Sahar Rashidbeigi, and Senior Product Manager, Electrification Pilots, Jelle Burger grab a sustainably sourced coffee at headquarters in The Hague and explain why decarbonising is good for business.

TOC Europe, held last week in Rotterdam’s Ahoy venue, is typically an industry gathering in which suppliers, port authorities and fellow terminal operators jostle for self-promotion. While there’s always room for kudos at such events, this year felt different, according to Sahar.

Settling into a seat in a recycled container, she says: “I was really pleased with the evolution of the conversation around decarbonisation. Original Equipment Manufacturers are seeing ‘opportunities’ rather than obstructions. They are asking the right questions and taking clearer and more concrete actions.”

Shift to real issues

Sahar took part in the panel, ‘Alternative fuels and clean tech’ which attracted the attention of one of the largest audiences in the three-day event. “Compared to last year, the panel moved from being sales-driven (which leads to disconnect) to a content-rich, sensible conversation on real issues,” Sahar observed.

“What is new is the mindset change. Decarbonising, ‘no matter what the cost’ sends the wrong signal.” Says Sahar: “There has been limited ‘cost-down’ on tech for the last 20 years in our sector. Scaling up leads to an economic expectation of cost down,” says Sahar, echoing her speech.

Economies of scale

Jelle agrees. “No one in our industry intends to ‘decarb to bankruptcy.’ The economies of scale are – and should be – aimed for and captured,” he says.

“What’s evident and changing is that decarbonisation is happening outside the sector,” he says. “For example, opportunities for development are being demonstrated on every highway and doorstep in the shape of affordable access to electric vehicles.”

“Sure, there’s a green premium on electric container handling gear right now, but anyone thinking this is a permanent fixture is missing the big picture,” he says.

Scale up, ease back

“As with all tech, as adoption scales up, costs will go down,” Sahar points out. “The green premium isn’t forever, it’s a steppingstone on the path to a cleaner, more efficient industry.”

Taking a sip of coffee, she pauses before reflecting. “In attending TOC Europe, we had two goals in terms of outreach – to share our insights and perspectives, and to mobilise the ecosystem – and by that, I mean port authorities, our peers, competitors, the entire industry. In terms of thought leadership, I feel proud to have ignited conversation on the topic of decarbonisation beyond the realms of self-focus. I look forward to more voices joining us collaboratively on this topic.”

In evidencing this, she and Jelle point to “very heartening” interactions, not just with established suppliers and partners, but with new solutions-providers.

More accessible

“What really worked this year at TOC Europe is that we made ourselves more accessible,” says Jelle. “The success of this approach is reflected in the list of concrete actions we’ll be exploring in our debriefing with procurement and other teams in coming weeks.”

With that, Sahar and Jelle pick up their APM Terminal mugs to head back to the office from which the Decarbonisation agenda and full net zero pledge by 2040 – was launched.

“Let’s get back to work – but not ‘business as usual’,” quips Sahar.