The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on the 16th that a total of two domestically made electric yard tractors, one each at Busan North Port and New Port, have been introduced.
An electric yard tractor is transport equipment that moves containers within a port. The main fuel for most is fossil fuels such as diesel or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Accordingly, the need to switch to zero-carbon fuels such as electricity has been continuously raised due to environmental concerns. However, because of technology and price issues in development and manufacturing, reliance on imports was unavoidable.
The equipment introduced at Busan Port this time is a domestic product with more than 90% of parts localized. An official at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) said, "It is manufactured and produced domestically, and key components such as the battery are also domestic products."
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) expected that the introduction of this equipment would improve the efficiency of cargo handling operations. It also expected that, because the equipment is domestically made, it would be produced and supplied stably regardless of external environmental uncertainties.
The government plans to introduce a total of 33 domestically made electric yard tractors at major ports this year. However, this may vary depending on demand at each port.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) will recruit terminal operators in June through a public tender to receive support for the purchase expense of electric yard tractors. Selected operators can receive support for 50% of the introduction cost, including 25% from the national budget and 25% from port authorities. This year's total national budget is 2.475 billion won.
Kim Hye-jung, director-general for shipping and logistics at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF), said, "We hope that the introduction of domestically made electric yard tractors will serve as a catalyst for reducing carbon emissions at ports and accelerating the growth of Korea's port equipment industry."