The Port of Antwerp-Bruges, in collaboration with technology partners Akkodis, VDL and Medrepair (part of MedlogSA, a subsidiary of MSC), demonstrated an innovative autonomous electric shuttle for intra-terminal container transportation. The project is being implemented within the framework of the European PIONEERS initiative, funded by the Horizon 2020 program.
The new platform is designed to automate short hauls between the warehouse, stacks and gates, reducing the dependence on diesel equipment and manual labor. The shuttle, built on the basis of the 3-axle VDL MTT platform, is equipped with an intelligent navigation system, high-precision sensor equipment and a centralized control interface, ensuring safety and full transparency of operations.
Speed up to 15 km/h, a range of 8 hours on a single charge, a maximum load of 48 tons. The test, carried out at the Medrepair terminal, was the second successful trial of the system and demonstrated its readiness for real integration into the port infrastructure. The solution is already being considered as part of the next generation of scalable logistics – Logistics as a Service (LaaS).