APM Terminals awards electrification contract for Maasvlakte II expansion

APM Terminals, part of Danish shipping giant A.P. Moller–Maersk, has chosen CareGo, a consortium comprising Swedish-Swiss technology company ABB and Dutch construction companies Dura Vermeer and GMB, to provide civil works and electrification for the expansion of the Maasvlakte II (MVII) container terminal in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

As disclosed, the expansion will cover a 51-hectare container yard, doubling the capacity of the terminal. These 51 hectares will consist of 31 additional yard blocks, quay area, truck and rail areas and associated infrastructure. Reportedly, the Rotterdam Port Authority has already constructed 1,000 meters of new deep-sea quay for the expansion of the facility.

For the project, ABB will provide terminal electrification with prefabricated substations and data centers, terminal lighting, fiber optic network and power supply to cranes and reefers. Dura Vermeer and GMB will supply the civil works of the entire site, including pavements, concrete foundations, crane tracks, reefer racks, fencing and the expansion of the rail terminal.

Sander Lindemans, Project Director, CareGo, commented: “Building a fully automated Container Terminal of this magnitude in such a short time frame is a challenging but also wonderful assignment. We have proven with APM Terminals MVII that we can do this. The new terminal is both highly sustainable and innovative. The participating companies in the construction consortium recognize themselves in this forward-thinking approach, making them perfectly suited for this challenging project.”

Clara Holmgren, Business Line Manager, Ports at ABB Marine & Ports, stated: “As container terminals are becoming fully electrified, the need for resilient power infrastructure becomes even more important… We are proud of the trust APMT MVII has placed in us as a provider of port electrical infrastructure for their fully electrified terminal, and look forward to delivering this project together with our consortium partners.”

Harold Kunst, Managing Director, APM Terminals MVII, remarked: “It gives us peace of mind that the CareGo consortium with such proven and trusted partners is going to deliver high quality work on our extensive civil work. With the leading companies ABB, Dura Vermeer and GMB, APM Terminals has good experiences gained in the past and we fully expect that the expansion and actual doubling of our terminal capacity will be completed as agreed and on time. We look forward to a constructive cooperation.”

To note, MVII is expected to become one of the world’s most advanced fully automated terminals, equipped to load and unload the largest containerships in the world. With fully secure automated areas separating man and machine, it will also be one of the safest, according to ABB.

A dedicated area with six barge cranes and a fully integrated rail terminal ensure “smooth” loading and discharging of containers to and from the hinterland, ABB said, adding that the rail terminal is directly connecting the Rotterdam port with the German rail network at the Dutch/German border.

As informed, MVII is a fully electrified container terminal running on renewable electricity with energy-efficient buildings and grounds. ABB mentioned that the lift automated guided vehicles (L-AGV) also run on electricity instead of diesel. In addition, the expansion will introduce automated terminal trucks (ATTs) that will operate in mixed traffic.

In October 2024, APM Terminals signed an agreement with Rotterdam Shore Power to equip the terminal with shore power from 2028.

Kunst remarked at the time: “Offering shore power to our clients is the next logistical step in our global ambition to minimise emissions in the maritime sector. This collaboration with Rotterdam Shore Power is a significant step in our joint ambition to make the port of Rotterdam a global pioneer in the field of sustainability.”