The electric van, which is the first of three to be delivered in this phase, is part of the company’s wider plans to eliminate fossil fuel usage within its port vehicles and equipment and has been secured on the back of successful trial usage within the company’s Conservancy department.

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PD Ports as owner and operator of Teesport, a key piece of national infrastructure and the sixth largest port in the UK, has set its sights on reaching Carbon Neutrality by 2027 and CEO Frans Calje explained how initiatives such as this are ensuring the company remains on track.

“Decarbonisation is such a prominent and important part of our agenda as we continue our journey towards becoming a smarter port and further elevating ourselves as the UK’s premier seaport and logistics operator.

“There is no denying that we operate within a sector typically reliant on heavy industry but that is why we place such importance on researching, developing, and implementing ways in which we can keep our environmental impact to an absolute minimum.

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“We have a responsibility to ensure we are reducing the negative impacts that complex supply chains can have and that starts with us here at PD Ports. By investing in sustainable practices such as electric vehicles, we continue to make great progress towards building a more sustainable future for ourselves and our communities.”

The company has already started the process of electrifying the entire fleet of Rubber Tyred Gantry Cranes – used to load and unload containers from trucks in the yard – back in 2020.

70 per cent of the fleet has now been successfully converted with the remaining works due to be completed during 2023 which, combined, will save an average 700 tonnes of CO2 each year compared to diesel.