The Northwestern Seaport Alliance (NWSA) has voted to improve its environmental sustainability efforts by approving a $500,000 fund to support the use of Electric Yard Trucks in the Port of Tacoma.
In a statement, the NWSA said the Electric Yard Trucks, also known as terminal tractors, are cargo handling equipment that move containers to and from stacks and rail cars.
Rail Management Services will purchase the terminal tractors and charging stations, with the NWSA installing the electrical infrastructure to support the charging of the trucks, the NWSA explained. The electric tractors will be the first of their kind in the NWSA gateway.
The six zero-emission electric yard trucks will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 260 tonnes per year. In addition, electric yard trucks are cheaper to operate than traditional diesel trucks and having fewer maintenance needs due to fewer moving parts.
Rail Management Services has experience implementing electric terminal tractors and has successfully deployed this technology in its operations at other terminals.
Earlier this year, the NWSA adopted the updated Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy to phase out emissions from seaport activities by 2050.
Achieving this vision will involve adopting zero-emission technology across various parts of the supply chain, of which terminal trucks are one element.
Investing in charging infrastructures supports customer efforts to increase operational efficiency and advances environmental performance in the gateway, according to the NWSA.
