The Port of Felixstowe is set to take delivery of 100 “ground-breaking” battery-powered autonomous trucks operated by AI (artificial intelligence).
Port boss Clemence Cheng said they were “really excited” to be introducing the technology following successful trials in Felixstowe and Thailand.
Port owner Hutchison Ports signed a deal with Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd after a tender exercise.
Hutchison Ports first introduced Westwell’s Q-Trucks at Terminal D in Thailand’s Laem Chabang Port in 2020 – which has 15 Q-trucks on site.
They operate with no separation from other traffic and have handled the movement of than 334,000 TEU (Twenty-feet Equivalent Unit) – or standard 20ft containers – since their introduction.
Mr Cheng – who is chief executive of the Port of Felixstowe and executive director of Hutchison Ports – welcomed their roll-out in Suffolk.
“We are really excited to be working in partnership with Westwell to bring their ground-breaking and AI-driven technology to the Port of Felixstowe,” he said.
“Following the positive introduction of autonomous trucks at our terminal in Thailand and after thorough and successful testing in Felixstowe, we are rolling the system out in the UK.
“The new trucks will increase the efficiency and operational consistency of our container handling as well as making a significant contribution to decarbonising operations at the port.”
Westwell chairman Kenny Tan said the new sustainable technology can help increase efficiency while cutting costs.
Delivery of the first autonomous trucks will begin in September 2023 and forms part of the port’s decarbonisation strategy.
The port is also investing in battery-powered conventional tractor units, replacing and re-engineering its yard cranes and purchasing electricity only from certified renewable sources.
Source East Anglian Daily Times
