Background Europe Combined Terminals BV (ECT), has grown into Europe's biggest and most advanced container terminal operator, handling 60 percent of all containers passing through the Port of Rotterdam. ECT aimed to demonstrate to its clients a new and environmentally friendly technique for treating containers for pests. By doing so, it would improve its environmental performance and working conditions as well as contribute to a broader application of new and faster techniques. Methyl bromide is an odourless, colourless gas that is used to control a variety of pests in a wide variety of agricultural and commodity applications. Methyl bromide can affect human health, both directly – customs officers who have to check the containers – and indirectly through pollution of air and soil. Even small concentrations of methyl bromide may cause central nervous systems depression, brain damage, kidney injury, cancer or even fatal pulmonary oedema. Methyl bromide is also a significant ozone depleting substance. Because of its ozone depleting characteristics, the use of methyl bromide was gradually phased out under the Montreal Protocol between 1998 and 2005. A complete ban is in force as of 1st January 2005. Some exemptions apply: (i) less developed nations can delay phase out to 1st January 2015 and (ii) “critical uses”, for which no suitable alternatives exist, can continue to use methyl bromide. Quarantine and Pre-Shipment in the cargo handling industry is one such critical use. Containers with goods as food and wood are gassed before departure in order to destroy vermin, and need to be degassed before the goods can be used. Gassing and degassing take place in the open air. This is not just bad for the environment; it is also hard to tell beforehand how long an effective gassing and degassing operation will take. Objectives By carrying out this project and by demonstrating zero-emission gassing and degassing, the project partners wished to contribute to a total ban on the use of methyl bromide for pre- and post-shipment treatments of containers while proposing a suitable solution to the cargo industry. The specific objective of the ECON-tainer project was to establish and to demonstrate a new container degassing and fumigation plant that would result in a 100 percent reduction of methyl bromide emissions into the environment. Results This project ran from 1st March 2002 to 31st December 2004 and was successful: it demonstrated that all four zero-emission techniques used for gassing and degassing containers were technically feasible, and that two of them were also economically viable. The project started with the design and construction of the new fumigation plant. The plant was completed in December 2002; 12 gas tight cells were built and equipped with the required heating, conditioning and monitoring installations. The terminal (called REST - Rotterdam EcO2 Service Terminal) was the first container terminal in the world that used multiple techniques resulting in a 100% reduction of emission of methyl bromide. The plant became operational in January 2003. Four types of treatment were done as part of the installation: 1. Treatment with the EcO2 QPS heat treatment®. This technique was developed to treat wood, stow wood materials and packaging materials together with the goods concerned. This technique applies a combination of heat and a low oxygen level. The temperature complies with the requirements of the Quarantine and Pre Shipment regulations and the low oxygen level prevents the decay of the goods. The treatment lasts a maximum of 48 hours, it leaves no residues and it renders the use of methyl bromide unnecessary. The required certificates are supplied, so that the wood, stow wood materials and packaging materials are allowed into the country of destination without any problems. The containers that have been treated by means of the EcO2 QPS heat treatment® require no gas-free measurements and they can be opened anywhere without any risk for the personnel involved. 2. Gassing with methyl bromide in a controlled environment: methyl bromide is injected in the container and stays in for 24 hours under controlled atmosphere conditions, after which the gas is released by means of heating and air circulation and then led through filters to avoid methyl bromide emission. Once it is apparent from measurements that a container is gas-free, it is released for the purpose of unloading. 3. Treatment with EcO2 controlled atmosphere technology®. This technique is mainly used for pest control purposes in food stocks. The container with foodstuffs or contaminated product is placed in a cell and heated to a temperature that activates the vermin. The EcO2 technique is applied successively, reducing the oxygen to a level that does not allow any vermin to survive. Treatment time is 3 to 9 days. 4. Degassing containers with methyl bromide in a controlled environment: the gas is released by means of heating and air circulation and then led through filters to avoid methyl bromide emission. Once it is apparent from measurements that a container is entirely gas-free, it is released for the purpose of unloading. In total 1078 treatments were carried out over 2003 and 2004. A total of 113 different customers offered REST one or more containers for treatment. As noted above, the project demonstrated that all four zero-emission techniques were technically feasible. Treatments 1 (EcO2 QPS heat treatment) and 2 (gassing with methyl bromide) had reasonable treatment times; the project team considered these to be economically viable. Average treatment times were respectively 36 hours and 82 hours. Treatments 3 (EcO2 controlled atmosphere) and 4 (degassing in a controlled environment) had treatment times that were too long to make them economically viable according to the project team; average treatment times were respectively 300 hours and 158 hours (for 40ft containers). The direct environmental benefit of the project is significant: during its start-up years 2003 and 2004, the plant avoided the emission of 785 kg methyl bromide, which is 15 percent of total annual emissions in the Netherlands. The project might furthermore have policy implications: the project provided evidence that the Eco2 QPS heat treatment is suitable for substituting methyl bromide gassing. This is particularly relevant because of the new FAO-guideline for regulating wood packaging material in international trade, ISPM15. As a result of ISPM15, an increase in the use of methyl bromide is expected. This project demonstrated that the Eco2 QPS heat treatment is a certified and accepted alternative within ISPM15 for gassing with methyl bromide. Demonstration value was and is high: several international delegations visited the plant, from the EC but also from Canada and the USA. There was firm interest from ECT owner Hutchison, China. The project team visited several ports during the project and presented its results; this lead to interest in setting up a similar facility in the ports of Antwerp, Felixstowe and Hamburg. This project has been selected as one of the 21 "Best" LIFE Environment projects in 2005-2006