Logistics

The load arrived at the copper mine site on 25 November and was successfully offloaded. (Image source: Vanguard)

Vanguard, a specialised heavy lift installation company, has completed the complex transportation of a 50 m-long, 171 t cold box from the port of Walvis Bay, Namibia, to a copper mine in Solwezi, Zambia

In order to complete the operation – which required a total load combination of 75 m and a gross combination mass of 338 t – Vanguard utilised 8-axle and 11-axle Goldhofer multi-axle trailers, two prime movers and 600 t capacity turntables. This was configured in a push-pull combination with drawbars at both the front and back to ensure stability and manoeuvrability.

Facing a journey of 2,700 km, meticulous preparation and precise execution was required. The cold box was discharged at Walvis Bay in August 2024 and, in order to reach its destination, significant route modifications were required, including road works and the construction of 11 by-passes at various locations. This also included travelling through mines to bypass bridges and congested suburbs.

After two months of route modifications, the journey began in October 2024 and took 45 days to reach the site. The successful execution of this has been attributed to the excellent work of Vanguard’s engineering and project management teams alongside highly skilled drivers, operators and escorts.

“The route was extremely challenging. Road obstructions and furniture had to be removed or adjusted to accommodate the load,” Juan Johnson, field manager at Vanguard. “Overnight parking and stopping were complicated by the limited availability of lay-by areas. Poor road conditions and severe congestion often forced our convoy to travel at speeds of just 2-5 km/h. We also had to cross various borders, navigate bridges, by-passes, towns and tight corners, which required the expertise of the whole team.”

“The biggest challenge in the project, and something which was entirely unexpected, was the extreme public interest that was generated over the course of the trip. Crowds began gathering in Namibia, sparking significant social media attention. By the time we reached Zambia, word of the unusual load had spread, and large crowds gathered to watch us drive by. In towns like Livingstone and Lusaka, hundreds of thousands of people came to watch. In Lusaka, police estimated that over one million spectators turned out. Managing these crowds required extensive support, with over 500 police officers allocated at certain points for escort and crowd control. Despite the logistical difficulties, the whole team managed this with exceptional professionalism.”

Lithium-sulphur battery technology delivers higher performance at a lower cost compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Stellantis, a leading automaker that is seeking to provide clean, safe and affordable freedom of mobility, has signed a joint development agreement with Zeta Energy Corp, a company focused on developing rechargeable batteries that are lower cost and sustainably produced, to advance battery cell technology for electric vehicles

The two are seeking to develop lithium-sulphur EV batteries with gravimetric energy density while achieving volumetric energy density comparable to today’s lithium-ion technology. The ambition is to create a lighter battery pack with the same usable energy as contemporary lithium-ion batteries. This is expected to enable greater range, improved handling and enhanced performance as well as having the potential to improving fast-charging speeds by up to 50%. These benefits will make EV ownership more convenient for users as well as costing less than half the price per kWh of current lithium-ion batteries.

“We are very excited to be working with Stellantis on this project,” remarked Tom Pilette, CEO of Zeta Energy. “The combination of Zeta Energy’s lithium-sulphur battery technology with Stellantis’ unrivaled expertise in innovation, global manufacturing and distribution can dramatically improve the performance and cost profile of electric vehicles while increasing the supply chain resiliency for batteries and EVs.”

The collaboration includes both pre-production development and planning for future production. Upon completion of the project, the batteries are targeted to power Stellantis electric vehicles by 2030.

“Our collaboration with Zeta Energy is another step in helping advance our electrification strategy as we work to deliver clean, safe and affordable vehicles,” commented Ned Curic, Stellantis chief engineering and technology officer at Stellantis. “Groundbreaking battery technologies like lithium-sulphur can support Stellantis’ commitment to carbon neutrality by 2038 while ensuring our customers enjoy optimal range, performance and affordability.”

The collaboration will focus on investigating the possibilities of developing and applying Hycamite’s technology in marine applications. (Image source: Hycamite)

Hycamite TCD Technologies, a deep-tech company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two subsidiaries of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, in order to promote the application of methane-splitting for power generation and propulsion onboard marine vessels

Hycamite breaks down methane molecules into clean hydrogen and solid, high-value carbon products using heat and its proprietary zero-emission technology. All of its products have a low carbon footprint and the company can tailor its high-value carbon products to customer needs and produce them in industrial quantities.

The two entities of Mitsui include MOL PLUS, an investor in early- and middle-stage startup companies that have the potential to reform ocean shipping, and MOLEA, a London-based company that is committed to offering customers across Europe and Africa high value-added services. Together, the three will aim to speed up efforts to reduce carbon emissions in the shipping sector with Hycamite starting operations at its recently-completed industrial methane-splitting plant in Kokkola, Finland, in early 2025.

“We are excited to partner with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to drive innovation in maritime decarbonisation. Hycamite has been working on the marine application through the development programme partly financed by Business Finland since 2022 and as we are starting the operations of our industrial-scale demonstration facility, we expect to gain a steep development in the understanding of the possibilities that our technology can bring. Our technology focuses on decarbonising some of the most hard-to-abate sectors in the world and marine traffic is one of those,” remarked Laura Rahikka, CEO at Hycamite. “Through collaboration with MOLEA, MOL PLUS, and their global technical teams, we can accelerate the development and promotion of the onboard methane-splitting application.”

Hycamite will collaborate with MOLEA and MOL PLUS to further develop its methane-splitting technology and the three will focus on investing the possibilities of developing and applying it in marine applications. They have a shared vision that, with the technology, LNG-fuelled ships can convert methane into hydrogen as they sail and the solid carbon can be offloaded at port of destination.

Goldwind is planning to build a new green methanol factory. (Image source: Hapag-Lloyd)

Hapag-Lloyd, a liner shipping company with a fleet of 292 modern container vessels, has reached an agreement with Goldwind, a global strategic partner in clean energy, for the delivery of green methanol

Consisting of a blend of bio- and e-methanol, 250,000 tonnes of the fuel will be supplied to Hapag-Lloyd every year which will be used to power specialist ships in its fleet including five 10,100 TEU charter ships that the company and Seaspan are converting to a suitable methanol dual-fuel propulsion system in 2026. The logistics company has also made a decision to invest in 24 new container ships with low-emission dual-fuel liquefied natural gas engines.

“As part of our Strategy 2030, we are fully committed to the 1.5-degree target of the Paris Agreement and therefore also to sustainable investments,” remarked Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd AG. “With the agreement, we are securing a significant proportion of our requirements for green fuels. This will bring us an important step closer to our goal of achieving net-zero fleet operations by 2045. It is and remains our ambition to play a leading role in the transformation of the liner shipping industry.”

The green methanol supplied by Golwind will reportedly ensure a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of at least 70% and will help Hapa-Lloyd to reduce the absolute emissions of its fleet by around one third compared to 2022. This will translate to a total save of up to 400,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions in fleet operations per year.

On the path to carbon neutrality

“We are honored to have reached this agreement with Hapag-Lloyd,” remarked Wu Gang, chairman of Goldwind. “This collaboration proves once again that Goldwind can win the trust of one of the most important shipping companies. We are grateful for the opportunity to become a strong decarbonization partner of Hapag-Lloyd, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality ahead of the shipping-industry targets and aligns closely with Goldwind’s corporate vision. Goldwind highly values this endorsement and looks forward to deepening the collaboration.”

To help support the order, Goldwind is planning to build a new green methanol factory adjacent to its existing project in Hinggan League, China. Liu Rixin, head of Goldwind Green Methanol, explained, “The planned new factory will share technology, utilities, facilities and infrastructures with its neighbouring sister plant, boosting production efficiency. It is still subject to the financial investment decision of the Goldwind Board. We anticipate the completion of a megaton green methanol base in Hinggan League in late 2027.”

Jan Christensen, senior director global fuel purchasing, concluded, “Green methanol represents a key pathway within Hapag-Lloyd’s multi-fuel strategy, underscoring our commitment to advancing more sustainable shipping solutions. This initiative is made possible through strong partnerships, and we greatly value our collaboration with Goldwind, whose expertise and shared vision are helping us make important progress toward decarbonisation.”