Tianjin Container Terminal Shifts to Electric and Hydrogen Yard Equipment

Tianjin Container Terminal has deployed a 30-unit fleet of electric and hydrogen-powered yard equipment, replacing diesel-powered kit at the COSCO Shipping Ports subsidiary. The deployment covers 18 electric forklifts, seven hydrogen-powered container trucks and five electric empty container handlers. The electric forklifts deliver eight to 10 hours of continuous operation with fast-charging capability and are claimed to cut maintenance costs by more than 60% compared with diesel units. Hydrogen truck maintenance costs are said to be more than 50% lower than diesel equivalents. The electric empty container handlers have a rated lifting capacity of nine tonnes and an operating time exceeding eight hours on a single charge. TCT expects annual savings of more than US$150,000 from the equipment, primarily from lower energy costs per container. TCT handled 4.3m teu in the first half of 2024, operating as part of the wider Port of Tianjin complex, which processed 23.3m teu in 2024. COSCO Shipping Ports increased its stake in TCT to 51% in December 2021. The deployment follows Tianjin Port’s designation as one of five zero-carbon port pilot projects by China’s Ministry of Transport in June 2024. The port already operates what it describes as the world’s first smart zero-carbon terminal at Section C, which runs on wind and solar power. Other Chinese ports are pursuing similar equipment transitions. Qingdao Port commissioned China’s first hydrogen-electric tugboat in June 2025, while Ningbo-Zhoushan Port has integrated hydrogen-powered tractors and forklifts into a hybrid energy system that now supplies nearly half of the port’s power from renewable sources.

Sources: Container News; PortNews; China Merchants Port Interim Report 2024; Port Technology