7:15am | State and locally elected leaders joined shipping company executives and Port of Long Beach officials this past Monday to dedicate the Port’s newest shore power installation. Shore power allows ships at berth to shut down their diesel engines and plug into electricity to reduce air pollution. To use the words of Port of Long Beach Executive Director Richard Steinke, it “allows the port to grow — but grow smarter[.]”
The Pier C container shipping facility operated by the Matson Navigation Company and SSA Terminals Incorporation is the fourth Port of Long Beach terminal to be equipped with shore power. It is part of the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), a joint pact between the Long Beach and Los Angeles ports to radically reduce air pollution due to cargo movement. In terms of numbers, this means by 2014, they aim to reduce port-related emissions by 22% for nitrogen oxides (NOx), 93% for sulfur oxides (SOx), and 72% for diesel particulate matter (DPM). By 2023, some of these numbers should increase, with reduction at 59% for NOx, 93% for SOx, and 77% percent for DPM.
At berth, ships need electricity to operate lights, pumps, ventilation, and communications systems, as well as other needs such as refrigerated containers. Traditionally, these functions are powered by a ship’s diesel-powered auxiliary engines, which generate air pollution at berth.
The $6.4 million project created about 60 jobs during the yearlong-plus construction period. The funds came from Port revenues earned from leasing and fees for cargo going through the Port.
Matson and the Port of Long Beach in 2006 committed to the project as part of a “green lease,” which outlined several major environmental improvements at the Pier C terminal. Since then, the California Air Resources Board has made shore power a state requirement. Under CARB regulations, by 2014, 50% of all containership visits must use shore power.
For more information, go to www.polb.com.