Pacifica Shipping deploys battery-swapping initiative

Coastal shipping operator Pacifica Shipping, an operating division of Swire Shipping (NZ), has launched a new project to create one of New Zealand’s lowest-emission supply chains for heavy freight by linking zeroemission, battery-swap, electric trucks with coastal shipping.

Co-funded by the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority, the initiative will see the deployment of two XCMG E700 battery-swap electric trucks for the first- and last-mile transportation of products, with low-emission coastal shipping for ocean freight.

The project is poised to significantly reduce carbon footprint by eliminating 5100 conventional combustion engine truck movements and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 250 tonnes annually.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has joined this initiative as the product partner. Mainfreight and Hilton Haulage have been brought on board as inland transportation partners. The project’s first phase will see the start of Mainfreight operating battery-electric trucks between CCEP’s Mount Wellington site and the Port of Auckland. Subsequently, operations will be expanded to Christchurch, with Hilton Haulage operating between Lyttelton Port Company and CCEP’s Woolston site.

“Pacifica Shipping has always been a strong supporter of the transition to a low-emissions future. This ground-breaking initiative, the first of its kind in New Zealand, leverages coastal shipping to create a supply chain characterised by the lowest carbon emissions for heavy freight shipments within New Zealand,” said Alistair Skingley, country manager, New Zealand, Swire Shipping.