Page 35 - Port of Hamburg Magazine - 02.18

GREEN PORT ■
Biogas-powered trucks from Scania ensure clean transports
Axel Kröger
Managing Partner, Konrad Zippel Spediteur GmbH & Co. KG
Axel Plaß
Managing Partner, Konrad Zippel Spediteur GmbH & Co. KG
can be reduced up to 90%. A case in point is our trucking in Leipzig, taking the transport route and amount of cargo from the customer into con- sideration we can save about 423 tons of CO2 a year.
One more interesting factor is that our drivers are re- ally impressed by the new trucks. They are proud to drive the environmentally-friendly semi-trailer trac- tors, which do not differ much in handling to the die- sel trucks. They are also happy not to smell of diesel every day any more, and to be quieter on the roads.
Plaß: It should also be pointed out that if a ban on diesel comes, we will still be on the road. This is a plus for all forwarders and truckers as well as cus- tomers, who can rely one hundred percent on our deliveries.
You use environmentally-friendly power all the way to Hamburg. How do you cover the last few metres before loading onto the ship?
Plaß: In the Port of Hamburg shunting is still done using diesel. But we are pushing for change and plan to buy a hybrid locomotive. This would contribute greatly to reducing fine particle emissions. From an economic standpoint, one very attractive factor for us is that Hamburg Port Authority rewards those who take environmental protection measures with favourable conditions.
Do you have further plans to expand use of envi- ronmentally-friendly transport?
Kröger: Our aim in the long-run is to achieve entirely CO2 neutral intermodal traffic. We have a long way to go, but we are already thinking in concrete terms about getting 10 more gas trucks.
Does such a pioneering spirit bring risks along with it?
Plaß: We are breaking new ground by taking on CNG trucks. Leasing them was not possible as the repurchase value is still unknown. So from that standpoint you could talk about a risky investment. But on the other hand there are the positive as- pects, environmental support, customer retention and winning new customers. We’re backing bio- gas.
How do you come up with the outstanding ideas that you actually realize?
Plaß: We both have the motivation to improve conti- nually. We want to offer the best. That means being close to the customer, observing the sector closely and always being in dialogue with our team. We are involved in associations and maintain political links.
Kröger: Things happen in our office. Every day we meet our managers there for strategic and operati- ve planning. This is how we get our ideas onto the roads and tracks. ■
Port of Hamburg Magazine | June 2018 | 35
© Konrad Zippel
© Konrad Zippel
© Konrad Zippel