Evergreen, Port of Tacoma Use Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel

In an effort to protect Puget Sound air quality, the Evergreen Group has announced that all diesel-powered equipment at the Port of Tacoma's Pierce County Terminal is required to use ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel.

Evergreen's announcement came just months after the Port of Tacoma Commission directed that all diesel equipment at Port-operated facilities should use ULSD fuel. While the decision increases the operational costs for Evergreen, use of the more expensive fuel has tangible benefits for the environment and the community.

This "greening of Evergreen" has been mandated by the career-long philosophy of Evergreen Group Chairman Dr. Y F Chang, who believes all shipowners have a responsibility to minimize the impact of their operations on the global environment - at any cost.

R Ted Bottiger, President of the Port of Tacoma Commission, explained that the use of ULSD reduces sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 97 percent.

The major users of diesel fuel are straddle carriers. Serving ocean carriers Evergreen Marine, Hatsu Marine and Lloyd Triestino, the 171-acre Pierce County Terminal employs 34 straddle carriers. The Port of Tacoma operates 38 straddle carriers between Husky Terminal, Olympic Container Terminal and the Port-operated North Intermodal Yard.

Classified as non-road vehicles, straddle carriers have a federally set SO2 emission standard of 5,000 ppm (parts per million). This limit will become 500 ppm in June 2007. And a SO2 limit of 15 ppm becomes effective in June 2010 for non-road fuelled vehicles. According to Cindy Lin, the Port's Manager of Environmental Compliance, use of ultra-low sulfur diesel means that Evergreen and Port-operated diesel equipment is meeting the 2010 standard today.