Houston Terminal goes electric with help from Equipment Depot

Houston Terminal, a stevedore operation based at Port of Houston, has taken a major first step in electrifying its equipment with the purchase of a SANY Electric Reach Stacker from Equipment Depot — just one example of a new trend among seaports.

Getting Electrified

“In this market, there's a shift towards sustainable equipment,” explains Greg Schertz, Senior National Account Executive for Heavy Trucks and Port Equipment at Equipment Depot — a national equipment supplier and the primary SANY distribution partner for the Americas market. The company sells, services and rents equipment from small capacity forklifts to high-capacity forklifts and container handlers for about 85% of US ports.

“Electric equipment is a growing trend, and it has become more than a conversation point,” Schertz continues. “Actual machines are going into service and are proving their capability.”

Chad Larson, VP of Heavy Trucks and Port Equipment at Equipment Depot, adds that in the port business, electric equipment is relatively new, becoming more prevalent within the last few years. “The West Coast is a little bit more progressive on sustainability and electric, but we are seeing more and more conversation on the East Coast as well,” Larson says. “We've noticed a strong trend of interest in electric products throughout the US ports.”

This move to electrification is not just about regulations in states like California, Larson observes. “I think the bigger picture is that the world has become more of a global market, and in the port industry there are many relationships and parent companies with ties into Europe and other parts of the world where zero carbon initiatives are more progressive than the US.”

Electric Potential

The SANY Electric Reach Stacker generates zero emissions because it runs on a rechargeable lithium iron phosphate battery, not an internal combustion engine (ICE). In addition, the Electric Reach Stacker helps create a safer working environment due to the standard safety features.

“We strategically partnered with SANY, a global manufacturer with a strong portfolio of electric products including electric reach stackers, empty container handlers and high-capacity forklifts, to enable our customers to reduce costs and improve efficiency with a zero-carbon footprint,” says Larson. “The differentiator is SANY has more electric products proven on a global scale.”

In addition to zero emissions, electric equipment offers several advantages to companies like Houston Terminal, starting with lower total cost of ownership. “Because electric equipment does not have an ICE, operating expenses are very low,” Schertz confirms. “With a diesel engine you have to change oil, filters, and other components. You don't have that maintenance on an electric piece of equipment.”

Robert Marshall, General Manager of Houston Terminal, agrees, “Electric equipment has a much easier, much simpler maintenance program, because basically you're just maintaining tires.”

In addition, fewer moving parts means fewer issues and breakdowns, which boosts productivity. “Uptime is dollars for stevedores like Houston Terminal,” Schertz says. “This reach stacker is used in their consolidated freight solutions area for heavy lifts. If it's not working, there are big bottlenecks, and they can't get shipments out the door, which means they're not making money.”

Schertz also points out that electric equipment often sits in idle, but since it does not burn fuel, the expense is greatly reduced.

“We don't have to fill the electric equipment with hundreds of gallons of diesel regularly, so it's much more cost effective to run,” Marshall confirms. “The electricity is cheaper than diesel by about half, saving us an estimated $500 per 10-hour shift for this one piece of SANY equipment.”

“Electric container handlers are proving to be a long-term game changer for a terminal operator's total cost of operations,” Schertz concludes.

“If they can find more economical and efficient ways to do the job, like using electric equipment, that allows them to be competitive, grow market share and gain customers,” Larson says, also pointing out that Equipment Depot has lease options to help customers avoid upfront capital expenses.

Houston, We Have a Solution

Houston Terminal, the largest stevedoring entity for containers at Port of Houston, operates at Bayport and Barbours Cut terminals. The company is a joint venture between SSA Marine and TIL CMT (Terminal Investment Limited's Container Marine Terminal), handling over one million container lifts per year.

Houston Terminal purchased the Electric Reach Stacker from Equipment Depot as one of the initial steps to support its sustainability objective to be carbon neutral. “We asked our vendors to help us meet our sustainability goals, and Equipment Depot has been fantastic, working with us to make sure we had technical support as well as parts for all the equipment,” Marshall says.

The Electric Reach Stacker was purchased with help from a Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP) Grant, part of TERP's Seaport and Rail Yard Areas Emissions Reduction (SPRY) Program to replace older drayage trucks and equipment at seaports and rail yards. Houston Terminal intends to apply for another TERP grant in 2026 to purchase an additional Electric Reach Stacker. However, Marshall says one barrier to expanding the electric fleet is the port's limited power grid, which would need to be upgraded in order to significantly increase the use of electric equipment.

“Electric equipment gives us a competitive advantage,” Marshall explains. “The shipping companies, our primary customers, are trying to meet the requirements of the European Union and International Maritime Organization (IMO). Our carbon footprint becomes a part of their footprint, so down the road they're going to have a greater push on their vendors, such as Houston Terminal, to help them reach those goals, and we're going to be ahead of that, which should give us a competitive edge.”

Marshall concludes, “It's important that we understand the sustainability requirements of the world over the next 20 or 30 years. I think change will be driven by our customers, because they have a core belief that it's the right thing to do.”

Visit Equipment Depot