DP World invests EUR 100 mln for electrification of its Constanța Port terminal

Global port operator DP World Romania has secured a EUR 25 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to partly finance the EUR 100 million electrification of its container terminal in Romania's Constanța Port, the company announced.

The green loan is part of a broader EUR 100 million investment programme envisaging the electrification of operations at the Constanța South Container Terminal and reducing the terminal's CO2 emissions by more than 6,000 tonnes per year.

The project also benefits from a EUR 19.7 million grant under the European Union's Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), part of the Connecting Europe Facility, with the EBRD acting as the EU's implementing partner. An additional EUR 7.5 million is provided through Romania's Transport Programme 2021-2027.

According to DP World, the project is a key element of the company's decarbonisation strategy in Romania and will support the transition to low-emission port operations by replacing diesel-powered equipment with electric alternatives and introducing shore-side electricity supply for vessels at berth.

The investment programme comprises two components.

The first, valued at EUR 53.8 million, will establish the infrastructure needed for electrification, including new electricity networks, transformer and distribution facilities, and shore-side power systems enabling ships to connect to the port's electricity grid while docked. It also includes a new connection to the main power station and the port grid, the rehabilitation of access roads, and the acquisition of 10 electric terminal tractors together with their charging infrastructure.

The second component, worth EUR 46.2 million, covers the purchase of additional electric equipment, including remotely operated electric rubber-tyred gantry cranes, two electric mobile harbour cranes and further electric terminal tractors.

(Photo source: the company)