Patrick Terminals has announced the introduction of nine electric terminal trucks and charging infrastructure into terminal operations in Fremantle. The project is an initiative of Patrick Terminals’ decarbonisation plan and is supported by receipt of $2.5 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of the Driving the Nation Program supporting investment in vehicle electrification.
“This project marks an Australian first in the port industry’s transition towards electric vehicles, aligning with Patrick Terminals’ commitment to decarbonisation and ensuring the longevity of port operations in Fremantle,” the company said in a statement.
Michael Jovicic, CEO Patrick Terminals conveyed the significance of the project as a positive step towards electrification and emissions reductions in the Patrick Terminals Fremantle operations, “The project… allows Patrick Terminals to lead the port industry’s transition to electric vehicles, deploying nine cutting-edge battery electric terminal trucks and fast chargers at our Fremantle operations. The introduction of electric terminal equipment at our Fremantle operations is an exciting initiative that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to investing capital in our Fremantle terminal to support longevity of port operations whilst also aligning with our commitment to decarbonising our operations.”
In a separate release, ARENA noted that it is committing millions of dollars to three projects, one of which is the Patrick Terminals truck programme, to help boost the shift to electric vehicles. Industrial freight provider Centurion is being supported to role out 30 battery electric trucks and 15 chargers; the chargers will be powered by a fully integrated off-grid energy system including rooftop solar and on-site battery storage. Meanwhile, the Western Australian Local Government Association will co-ordinate the delivery of 129 light battery electric vehicles and charging infrastructure with help from ARENA.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the three projects demonstrate the breadth of ARENA’s commitment to decarbonising transport. “These three projects demonstrate a variety of vehicles and use cases for EVs including industries that have previously proved challenging to reduce vehicle emissions,” Mr Miller said.
“This is exactly what ARENA’s Driving the Nation program is for; testing and demonstrating new use cases for electrical vehicles to prove the business case for low emissions transport. Each of these three projects is breaking new ground in the transition to electric vehicles and we’re excited to see businesses and councils in Western Australia leading the way.”
