CAAP Discusses Progress, Achievements, and Future Goals for San Pedro Bay Ports

In a webinar from Feb.1, Long Beach and Los Angeles Ports discussed updates, progress, and future goals under the Clean Air Action Plan. This plan identifies strategies to reduce pollution from energy source-ships, trucks, trains, cargo-handling equipment, and harbor craft vessels.

SAN PEDRO— The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles revisited the Clean Air Action Plan on Feb. 1 in a public meeting via webinar.

 

The meeting was broken down into four different presentations, discussing the plan, goals, and up-to-date developments.

 

The CAAP 2017 Update is an all-encompassing strategy for accelerating progress toward a zero-emission future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy.

 

The plan was introduced in November 2017 and requires regular advisory meetings as part of the CAAP Updates. Records from prior meetings have been made available to the public.

 

PRESENTATION NO. 1:

 

Christine Batikian from the Port of Los Angeles presented “Clean Air Action Plan- 2020 San Pedro Bay Combined Ports Air Emissions Inventory Results.”

 

“The inventories are based on actual activity and equipment that was used during the calendar year,” said Batikian. “So, to calculate emissions, we gather detailed operational activity information for our five main source categories.”

 

These categories include ships, harbor crafts, cargo handling equipment, trucks, and locomotives.

 

“There were a number of unique factors that affected emissions in 2020 largely related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Batikian. “First, there was an increase in the number of ships at anchorage in 2020 when compared to 2019. Many of these were cruise ships which remained at anchorage due to the halt in passenger operations in March of 2020…also, the souring demanding consumer goods into the second half of 2020 left many container ships at anchorage.”

 

The state provided exemptions to the at berth regulation due to the excessively high heat experienced in August and September of 2020 and for COVID-19 emergency relief reasons, which resulted in impacts to shore power usage at berth.

 

In 2020, there was also the most significant decline in worldly good fuels consumption in recent history, which led to tankers calling the ports in addition to lower harbor craft and rail activity.

 

Between the two ports, Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM), port-related air pollution emission in San Pedro Bay, has dropped 90 percent for diesel particulate matter, 63 percent for nitrogen oxides, 97 percent for sulfur oxides, and greenhouse gases are down 11 percent since 2005.

 

“State and federal regulations will continue to play an important role in the achievement of emission reductions at the San Pedro Bay Ports,” said Batikian. “These include but are not limited to the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) advance clean fleets regulation, the at berth regulation, the clean harbor craft rule, as well as the zero-emission cargo handling equipment regulation.”

 

In the cleaner action plan, the ports are committed to completing these ability assessments for cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks every three years.

 

The ports also plan to implement a clean truck fund rate early in the Spring of 2022. Heavy-duty trucks will move unloaded containers with varying exemptions for zero-emission trucks. The funds collected will be used to incentivize truck fleet turnover.

 

To see the 2020 Air Emission inventories for each Port separately, you can visit the Port’s respective websites for both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.

 

PRESENTATION NO. 2:

 

Morgan Caswell, the manager of Air Quality Practices for the Port of Long Beach, and Teresa Pisano, the Marine Environmental Supervisor for the Port of Los Angeles presented Joint Port’s 2021 Accomplishments and 2022 Priorities.

 

‘Together, the boards of harbor commissioners at the two ports formally adopted the Clean Truck Fund Rate in 2021,” said Caswell. “We held public workshops to receive community feedback on exemptions to the rate and ways to promote equity for truck drivers. We also executed our contract with Port Shack and made significant progress on developing the rate Collection Mechanism.”

 

Other accomplishments in 2021 include:

– The ports prepared and released each port’s respective Air Monitoring Report for 2020 and Emissions Inventory for 2020.

– The ports prepared and released the 2020 Technology Advancement Program (TAP) annual report, which describes progress and challenges based on all the Port’s demonstration projects for the calendar year and includes those funded by grants.

– The port’s commenced and made significant strides in developing the 2021 Cargo Handling Equipment (CHE) and the Truck Feasibility Assessments, which is still undergoing third-party review before its release versions will be available for public comment before making the final versions.

– The port’s submitted respective port plans for compliance under the At Berth Regulation.

– The San Pedro Bay Ports held a virtual workshop on funding opportunities to support clean technologies and infostructure for terminal and harbor craft operators.

 

Both ports coordinate with one another to ensure information and lessons learned are shared. The Port of Long Beach has accomplished:

– Executed a contract with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to provide $1 million for truck applications under their Prop 1B solicitation as part of the Port’s Kickstart Program.

– Adopted a revised Green Ship Incentive Program focused on Tier 3 vessels.

– The port was awarded $2.5 million in California Energy Commission (CEC) funding to support master planning for zero-emission terminal infrastructure workforce development. Finally, this project will deploy infrastructure to help light and medium-duty vehicles at the port’s maintenance yard and zero-emission infrastructure master planning to expedite the transition of port-owned vehicles to zero-emissions.

– Port of Long Beach completed two grant-funded programs in 2021, the first being a $5.2 million C-Port Project funded by CARB which deployed one batter-electric yard tractor, one battery-electric top handler, and two battery-electric top handlers at the SSA Marines terminal at Pier J. The second project completed was funded by the Environmental Protection Agency under a DERA grant and includes the repower of three diesel-electric Tier 1 engines of three rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) to grid-connected eRTGs.

The Port of Los Angeles has accomplished:

– Completed the $8.9 million Everport Advanced Yard Tractor Deployment and ECO-FRATIS Project, including:

– Deployed 20 Low NOx and five Zero-Emission Yard Tractors; Secured $2 million in DERA funds for ç Switcher Locomotives with project partner, Union pacific; Released a request for proposals offering $3 million for at least ten zero-emission trucks; And approved new trucking concession terms and agreements with over 1,000 licensed motor carriers to continue operating in the PoLA as clean trucks.

– Port of Los Angeles continued to implement significant grant-funded projects throughout 2021, including the Pasha Green Omni-Terminal Project with various zero-emission equipment and at berth capture and control system (anticipated to be completed in 2023)

-The Everport Advanced Cargo Handling Equipment Project (anticipated to be completed in 2023); and finally, the Shore to Store Project demonstration that constricts two new heavy-duty hydrogen fueling stations, ten zero-emissions heavy-duty fuel-cell trucks, and four zero-emissions cargo handling equipment.

 

Pisano then discussed the port’s priorities for the new year.

 

“Both ports will begin the collection of the Clean truck Fund Rate Implementation and will develop incentive programs and spending plans for the Clean truck Fund,” said Pisano. “We have partnered with the South Coast Air Quality Management District in a grant project with the CARB and the CEC to demonstrate 100 battery-electric trucks in a project called JETSI.”

 

According to Pisano, both ports plan to go to their boards to request $1.5 million each to support the JETSI project.

 

“We will continue to implement and support ongoing truck demonstration projects that are led both by the ports and by agencies with which we are project partners,” said Pisano. “And finally…we will complete our feasibility assessments for Drayage Trucks.”

 

For Cargo Handling Equipment (CHE), the priorities for the ports within the coming year will be to continue to work with their respective engineering teams and utilities for zero-emission infrastructure planning that is necessary to support their terminal operators. In addition, the ports will continue to focus on hydrogen Infrastructure and equipment projects through a technology advancement program. The ports will also complete the CHE 2021 Feasibility Assessment. The proposals are currently under review and will be considered for funding.

 

Ocean-Going Vessel (OGV) Emission Reduction is another priority for both ports moving forward.

 

“In the next year, both ports will continue to implement our existing vessel incentive programs such as environmental ship index, green ship incentive, and vessel speed reduction programs,” said Pisano.

 

The ports will continue to implement OGV demonstration projects; they will continue outreach to other national and international ports to develop projects that will help all ports overcome challenges and support the implementation of At Berth Terminal Plans.

 

CARB’s harbor craft rule development has been underway and is expected for final consideration in the Spring of 2022. The ports have participated in the rule-making process and have coordinated with CARB on various occasions. The Port’s announced that they would continue implementing projects under CARB’s advisory.

 

“We will continue to advocate for cleaner and zero-emission harbor craft and infrastructure,” said Pisano.

 

Finally, locomotive-related strategies that are priorities for the two ports include the implementation of Clean Locomotive Demonstration Projects. Additionally, the ports are presently evaluating a zero-emission locomotive charging infrastructure project through the technology advancement program. Locomotives remain a tough source category to tackle, and clean locomotive projects remain a top priority under the Technology Advancement Program. The ports stated that they would continue to follow the development of the CARB In-Use regulation for locomotives.

 

PRESENTATION NO. 3:

Patrick Couch, project director for Gladstein, Neandross & Associates presented the 2021 Feasibility Assessments Structure for Cargo-Handling Equipment and Drayage Trucks. This presentation highlighted feasibility assessments from 2021 that the ports will build upon and update.

 

The framework for emerging zero-emission and new zero-emission fuel-technology platforms are evaluated according to the following five basic parameters:

1.) Technical Viability

2.) Commercial Availability

3.) Operational Feasibility

4.) Availability of Infrastructure and Fuel

5.) Economic Workability.

 

The timeframe for each assessment is three years, from 2021-to 2024.

 

Several fuel-technology platforms are being tested for the Feasibility Assessment Structure, including:

1.) Advanced diesel combustion

2.) Natural gas combustion

3.) Other combustion such as propane

4.) Hybrid-electric platforms

5.) Pure battery-electric systems

6.) Hydrogen fuel-cell

 

PRESENTATION NO. 4:

Tim DeMoss of the Port of Los Angeles and Leela Rao of the Port of Long Beach made the final presentation which focused on the Clean Truck Program.

 

The objective of the Clean Trucks Program is to reduce emissions to improve community health meet criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas reduction goals. In addition, the program wants to minimize economic impacts and disruption and utilize the port’s authority within their jurisdiction.

 

The presentation discussed that as of April 1, a charge of $10 per loaded twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) would be applied to trucks and $20 per loaded forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU). The collection of these fees will be dispersed back into the programs of the ports.

 

The ports addressed public comments at the advisory meeting to receive input on CAAP implementation issues. In addition, the agenda was posted on the CAAP website’s Stakeholder Advisory Group page before the meeting.

 

Up to four CAAP stakeholder advisory meetings a year are called for as part of the Clean Air Action Plan Update approved by the Long Beach and Los Angeles Boards of Harbor Commissioners on Nov. 2, 2017. The purpose of the CAAP Advisory Group is to keep the public informed on progress and priorities for the development of programs as guided by the CAAP. In addition, participants are encouraged to provide input and advice to port staff on developing implementation details for various CAAP strategies.

 

The governing boards of Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have approved the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update, ushering in a new era of aggressive clean air strategies for moving cargo through the nation’s busiest container port complex. The document provides high-level guidance for accelerating progress toward a zero-emission future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy.

 

For more information, please contact Phillip Sanfield, Director of Media Relations for the Port of Los Angeles, at (310) 732-3568, or Lee Peterson, Media Relations Manager for the Port of Long Beach at (562) 283-7715.

 

In addition, targets for reducing greenhouse gasses from port-related sources were introduced to the 2017 CAAP. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs by 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

 

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