The role of ports in the transition to low-emission trucks – a multi-system transition analysis

Diesel-powered trucks handle most container movement between ports and the hinterland, resulting in negative externalities. Using low-emission trucks could reduce the impact of hinterland transport on global warming, but widespread diffusion remains slow. Since ports are central hubs for hinterland transport and focal points in the energy transition, we assess the conditions at ports for accelerating the transition to low-emission trucks. We employ a multi-system transition lens to examine the technology, actor, and institutional couplings between the hinterland transport system and the port energy system, under the regulatory influence of the port authority and EU policies. Drawing on data from a literature review, our findings show that ports offer 9 distinct conditions to accelerate the uptake of low-emission trucks for hinterland transport, including facilitating the diffusion of niche-technologies across systems, coordinating actors involved in energy infrastructure for low-emission trucks, and governing the transition as a focal institutional body in hinterland transport chains. Future research should incorporate primary data from port hinterland transport actors to examine diffusion barriers and deploy simulations to understand the diffusion of low-emission trucks in port hinterlands under different policy scenarios.