Port of Abidjan orders 36 electric towing vehicles from Gaussin

• The electric towing vehicles will be delivered in late 2021.

April 23, 2021: As part of the project on the second container terminal in the Port of Abidjan, Cte d'Ivoire Terminal is announcing the order of 36 electric towing vehicles from Gaussin. The new handling machines will equip the future container terminal, construction work on which was launched in October 2020 by Cte d'Ivoire Terminal.

The order, for a total of %u20AC9.9 million (6.5 billion CFA francs), is one of the commitments made by the leading shareholders of Cte d'Ivoire Terminal, Bollor Ports and APM Terminals as part of the public-private partnership signed with the Cte d'Ivoire authorities. 

The electric towing vehicles, to be delivered in late 2021, are 100 percent electric and emit no CO2 emissions or noise pollution. They serve to reduce the cost of energy consumed at terminals by 70 percent, which is powered by LMP batteries by Blue Solutions. 

A result of the synergies between Bollor Ports, Blue Solutions and Gaussin, the electric towing vehicles will reduce the environmental footprint of the future container terminal. Cte d'Ivoire Terminal plans to promote eco-responsible logistics solutions on the West African coast which contribute to the Green Terminal certification programme.

"This electric equipment, combined with the efforts to protect biodiversity, will shrink the carbon footprint of our business activities. This is a priority for us. The aim of Cte d'Ivoire Terminal is to innovate and accelerate its energy transition with the support of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan. The success of the initial electric towing vehicles rolled out by Gaussin at other port terminals in Africa bears out the relevance of our choice," Koen de Backker, managing director of Cte d'Ivoire Terminal.