West African ports rely heavily on diesel-powered machines to move containers, lift heavy loads and keep cargo flowing. But diesel comes with a cost: fuel expenses, maintenance bills and emissions. As ports look for cleaner alternatives, one question remains: can they reduce emissions without slowing operations or making equipment more expensive to run?

At the Port of Valencia in Spain, a project called H2PORTS has been testing one possible answer: hydrogen-powered equipment that handles heavy containers and refuels in minutes. The results offer useful lessons for West African ports but also raise an important question: is hydrogen the right choice for every port, or only for certain types of equipment?

The H2PORTS project tested a hydrogen-powered reach stacker at MSC Terminal Valencia and a hydrogen-powered terminal tractor at Valencia Terminal Europa. Both operated under real terminal conditions, supplied by a mobile hydrogen refuelling station.

The reach stacker was designed to match its diesel equivalent in lifting capacity and speed, handling containers weighing more than 30 tonnes. It can refuel in approximately 10 to 15 minutes and is designed to work a full shift, potentially longer, on one fill. The terminal tractor demonstrated more than six hours of continuous operation using approximately 12 kilograms of hydrogen. The project cost about €4.1 million, almost all funded by the European Union.

Valencia has demonstrated that hydrogen can power demanding port equipment. It has not established that hydrogen is cheaper than diesel or battery-electric alternatives. For ports considering investment, it’s important to distinguish this.

West African ports should begin by identifying which machines would benefit most from a change in energy source. Equipment workloads differ, as do the infrastructure and energy options available at each location.

In Nigeria, Apapa and Tin Can Island ports would require careful planning around hydrogen storage, refuelling space and safety. The Lekki port offers an opportunity to consider energy requirements alongside future equipment and infrastructure planning. At Onne, the demands of industrial and specialised cargo operations should guide technology choices.

Other ports are already exploring alternatives. Abidjan’s Container Terminal 2 operates 59 electric terminal tractors, while Ghana’s Tema Port has introduced 16 electric rubber-tired gantry cranes. These investments show that electrification is already part of the region’s port development. The next step is to determine which equipment can be served effectively by batteries and which may require alternatives such as hydrogen.

At Lomé, plans to acquire additional container-handling equipment offer an opportunity to compare technologies before committing to long-term purchases. Across the region, equipment replacement cycles provide a practical moment to assess cleaner options rather than automatically buying new versions of existing diesel machines.

That assessment must start with how equipment actually performs. How many hours does it work daily? How much fuel does it consume? How long does it remain idle, and what does maintenance cost? Operators must also consider whether charging or refuelling arrangements would interrupt productive work.

Battery-electric, grid-connected electric, hydrogen and other lower-carbon options should then be compared against the same operational requirements. Hydrogen may be worth considering for machines that handle heavy loads, work long shifts or cannot easily accommodate extended charging. For other equipment, battery-electric technology may be simpler and more economical.

The cost and availability of hydrogen remain significant considerations. Operators must account for fuel supply, storage, refuelling infrastructure, maintenance, staff training and emergency procedures. Its environmental benefits also depend on how the fuel is produced. A hydrogen-powered machine may emit only water and heat at the point of use, but its overall emissions depend on the production process.

Rather than commit immediately to a large fleet, ports can test one suitable machine under normal operating conditions. Productivity, availability, maintenance, energy costs and emissions per container move should be measured against existing equipment before any expansion is approved.

Energy decisions must also connect with daily port operations. Equipment location, work schedules and energy levels determine whether machines are ready when needed. Intelligent mobility systems can bring these details together, helping operators coordinate equipment use and refuelling while reducing avoidable downtime. For infrastructure and technology providers such as West African Truck Terminals (WATT), this creates an opportunity to connect energy management with the wider movement of cargo, vehicles and equipment.

Valencia has shown that hydrogen-powered equipment can work in a live port environment. The task for West African operators is to establish where that experience can translate into a sound investment. The goal is not simply to adopt a cleaner fuel but to move cargo reliably, control operating costs and reduce emissions without compromising productivity.

The question is not whether hydrogen is the future of port equipment. It is which energy source can do each job most reliably and economically and where each technology makes the greatest sense.

Jama Onwubuariri is Managing Director, TTP/Director, West African Truck Terminals