Port of Moerdijk to get new charging station for inland ships

August 26, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Dutch Port of Moerdijk, compatriot terminal operator Combined Cargo Terminals (CCT), and sustainable inland shipping company Zero Emission Services (ZES) have signed a partnership agreement for the construction of a new charging station for inland vessels in the Port of Moerdijk.

As informed, the station at CCT Moerdijk will be the fifth in the national ZES network and marks a significant step in making inland shipping more sustainable.

The first ZESpacks with green energy will be available for use in Moerdijk from 2026.

With the new charging station, the Port of Moerdijk commits even more to the energy transition and the sustainability of inland shipping. ZES uses 100% green energy and has no CO2, particulate matter, or nitrogen emissions. Moreover, sailing with ZES is much quieter than diesel-powered vessels, the parties explained.

“We were proud to welcome the “Alphenaar” to Moerdijk in 2021, the first Dutch inland vessel to operate with interchangeable energy containers. This was a remarkable feat of innovation. With this charging station, we’re taking the next step. We’re enabling the further sustainability of inland shipping in Moerdijk and encouraging the transition to zero-emission vessels,” Paul Dirix, CEO of the Port of Moerdijk, commented.

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ZES offers an emission-free energy system for inland shipping, thanks to which skippers can use interchangeable battery containers, the “ZESpacks,” which allow ships to operate entirely electrically. These 20-foot containers, filled with batteries, are charged with green energy at charging stations in inland ports.

Empty ZESpacks can easily be exchanged for full ones, allowing the journey to continue without long wait times. Skippers pay on a pay-per-use basis, which makes the transition easy.

Charging stations are now available in Alphen a/d Rijn, Den Bosch and Alblasserdam, and construction is underway in the Waalhaven in Rotterdam, as per the partners.

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With the Port of Moerdijk, the network of zero-emission shipping routes is further expanded.

The charging station in Moerdijk will be built on a site owned by the port authority, directly adjacent to the CCT Moerdijk terminal. The collaboration between the three parties emphasizes the importance of supply chain collaboration for system change in logistics. CCT and ZES share the electricity grid connection for charging the battery containers. The station has space for two ZESpacks of 2.9 MWh each, which are fully charged in just three hours.

The ZESpacks are not only suitable for propulsion of inland vessels, but can also be used for mobile shore power, temporary construction power, or other energy and grid congestion issues.