TRIESTE – A concrete push towards the decarbonisation of European logistics comes from the Netherlands. Inland Terminal Group (ITG), a company backed by the infrastructure team of M&G, has launched the MS Den Bosch Max Green, a fully electric container barge that will operate along Dutch inland waterways, transporting, among others, products of Heineken.
The goal is to drastically reduce emissions generated by container transport, shifting freight traffic from road to inland waterways. While conventional river transport already enables a reduction in emissions of 50–70% compared with road haulage, the new electric barge brings the cut close to 100%. The propulsion system is based on interchangeable battery containers, developed in collaboration with Zero Emission Services (ZES) and supported by the Dutch National Growth Fund and the Province of South Holland. Each voyage of the Den Bosch Max Green can replace up to 132 trucks, avoiding the release into the atmosphere of around 800 tonnes of CO₂ per year compared with traditional navigation.
The launch of the electric barge follows just a few months after that of the world’s first hydrogen-powered barge, the result of collaboration between ITG, Nike and Future Proof Shipping. The group’s inland logistics corridor connects major distribution hubs in Northern Europe, including the terminals of Meerhout (Belgium) and Rotterdam. As the leading terminal operator in the BeNeLux area, ITG handles around one million TEU a year across a network of 17 terminals. The Den Bosch terminal, located next to the Heineken brewery, is among the first to benefit from the new electric unit, which will transport zero-emission containers along the Dutch inland waterway system.
«We are proud to contribute to building sustainable infrastructure across Europe», said Andy Matthews, CIO of Infracapital (M&G). «Through ITG’s network of electric barges we are supporting the transition to zero emissions in logistics, demonstrating where institutional capital can have the greatest impact: combining innovation, sustainability and operational efficiency». In the same vein, Eduard Backer, CEO of ITG, commented: «Thanks to our collaboration with ZES and M&G’s long-term support, we are turning our vision into reality. This barge represents a key step in the strategy to keep the Netherlands clean, accessible and competitive from a logistics standpoint».
