The Executive Director of at the Port of Long Beach has outlined the port’s plans to lower emissions at its first in-person State of the Port address since 2020.
Long Beach boss Mario Cordero committed to supporting state and federal efforts to increase renewable energy sources as he declared 2023 as the “Year of Imagination.”
Cordero announced the port’s bid to assemble and manufacture offshore wind turbines that will increase the state’s supply of renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among the innovative projects planned.
Turbines assembled in Long Beach would be deployed to wind farms off the coast of Central and Northern California.
The project would help California meet a goal of producing 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045, in addition to creating jobs and economic opportunities for communities near the San Pedro Bay port complex.
The port is establishing a Zero Emissions, Energy Resilient Operations Program – known as ZEERO – to invest in projects aimed at reducing the impacts of operations and improving air quality.
ZEERO supports the development of renewable energy projects, including the port’s proposed Floating Offshore Wind Staging and Integration facility, known as “Pier Wind.”
A conceptual assessment is scheduled for completion in spring 2023 for Pier Wind, which aims to become the largest facility specifically designed to accommodate the assembly of offshore wind turbines at any US seaport.
The announcement came on 26 January.
Cordero also called on companies with strong environmental policies to choose the Port of Long Beach when shipping its own their goods and materials.
“I am proud to be part of an industry and a port that together offer innovative approaches and forward-thinking initiatives that continue to be the most imaginative solutions in the nation,” Cordero said.
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Over the next decade, the port plans to invest in rail improvements that will improve efficiency, reduce truck trips and lessen environmental impacts amid increases in cargo.
Key projects completed in 2022 include the Pier G-J Double Track Project, providing a crucial extra track for rail arrivals and departures in the Port’s south basin area.
Additionally, construction started on the Fourth Track at Ocean Boulevard project, adding another vital rail line to the port.
Construction begins in 2024 on the port’s rail program centrepiece, the Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, which will allow longer trains to be created more frequently.
Another significant milestone was achieved when President Joe Biden authorised the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with planned channel deepening in 2022.
The project will allow some of the largest shipping vessels to more easily transit the Port of Long Beach waters, improving efficiency and the environment.
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The port ended 2022 with 9.13 million TEU handled.
The port remained the nation’s leading export port for a second consecutive year with more than 1.4 million TEU of loaded exports moved.
