Ports Seeking Tech to Cut Vessels' Emissions at Berth
Having already invested nearly $400 million in dockside power hookups and other infrastructure to facilitate shore power in order to curtail at-berth air pollution from containerships, the Port of Long Beach and Port of Los Angeles are now soliciting proposals for new technology to reduce emissions for non-container vessels, such as tankers, vehicle carriers, bulk and general cargo ships.
The request for proposals by the ports under the Technology Advancement Program offers $1 million ($500,000 from each port) to fund demonstrations of one or more cost-effective technologies that can eliminate at-berth emissions from ships that don’t fall under the state’s shore power mandate.
Proposers must provide at least a 50 percent match to the project cost. Proposals are due by February 27, 2018.
Slashing vessel emissions is a strategy in the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), an effort aimed at reducing health risks adopted in 2006. The recently updated CAAP now calls for up to a 100 percent reduction in at-berth emissions from container and non-container vessels by 2030.
Compared to 2005 levels, diesel particulate matter has been reduced by up to 88 percent, sulfur oxides by 97 percent, nitrogen oxides by 56 percent and greenhouse gases 22 percent.