Portsmouth International Port have taken delivery of a fleet of new electric vans as part of the port's commitment to become the first net carbon neutral UK port by 2030, and the first zero emission port by 2050.
Improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions are two of the most pressing issues facing the maritime and marine industry today. In order to tackle these issues, the Port is moving over to electric vehicles, starting with the vans that the engineering team use.
The four new Nissan e-NV200 vans are compact, versatile and fully equipped with Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology. This 100% electric van with zero emissions is equipped with a 40kWh battery, meaning there is plenty of power available for the Port's engineers to travel both on and off-site for jobs.
Portsmouth International Port's head of engineering, Stephen Watkyns said: ‘These new electric vans are clean, quiet and a pleasure to drive.
‘They've got plenty of range, with no compromise on space inside, meaning that the engineering team have not had to change the way they work with the move to electric. Most importantly, they are helping to make the Port and Portsmouth a cleaner and greener place to be.’
Combined with the installation of new solar arrays at the port this summer and battery storage technology, it means that these vans will be able to be charged by power completely generated by renewable energy at the port.
Cabinet member for climate change and the green recovery at Portsmouth City Council, Cllr Kimberly Barrett, said: ‘This initiative is another brilliant example of the fantastic work that is happening across the council to reduce Portsmouth’s carbon emissions, in line with our commitment to reduce them to net zero by 2030.
‘The Port is blazing a trail for other UK ports to follow when it comes to sustainability, and I'm proud it's happening right here in Portsmouth.’
