The Inland Terminals Group (ITG), Zero Emission Services (ZES) and logistics company Nedcargo have launched a new emission-free container transport service on Dutch inland waterways, connecting the city of Den Bosch with the port of Rotterdam.
The service uses the vessel MS Den Bosch Max Groen, which operates with swappable battery containers supplied by ZES. The ship entered service in April 2024 and marks a milestone in ZES’s expansion of battery-electric shipping solutions. “It cuts CO2 emissions by 800 tonnes a year. That momentum must be carried forward,” said Eduard Backer, CEO of ITG.
Battery swapping infrastructure is now in place at three terminals — Alphen aan den Rijn, Alblasserdam and Den Bosch — with further facilities planned for Rotterdam, Moerdijk and Nijmegen. ZES first introduced battery-electric inland shipping in 2021 with the launch of its vessel Alphenaar.
The initiative is part of ITG’s broader sustainability strategy, which also includes exploring hydrogen-powered shipping. “Alongside this battery-electric vessel, our group also operates a hydrogen-powered ship. Hydrogen is suited to longer distances, while battery containers are ideal for shorter shuttle services,” Backer added.
Brewer Heineken is among the first customers for the new service. “We started transporting containers by inland shipping in 2010. It is a positive development that ITG, in addition to CCT, is now also enabling battery-electric inland container transport,” said Piet-Hein Timp, Procurement Manager for Sustainability and Energy at Heineken.