Port of Oakland leaders have joined the Port Decarbonization & Green Shipping Corridor Symposium to discuss the important work being done to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints globally and locally.
Danny Wan, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland, spoke to port industry colleagues on the newest initiatives being implemented at Oakland to drastically reduce carbon emissions from port and marine shipping operations.
The Symposium was held in Los Angeles by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (the Ministry).
Danny Wan said: “We are grateful to the California State Transportation Agency and the Ministry for bringing together our ports that share the critical supply chain between Japan and California. We benefit from each other’s knowledge on the development and deployment of technologies to reduce planet-warming emissions.”
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The Port of Oakland is the third busiest maritime gateway on the West Coast of the US. It serves as a vital maritime connection in the Asia-West Coast commerce route and worldwide network.
Oakland is the Central Valley’s favoured agricultural export gateway, with train links to the Midwest. Japan is a major US trade partner and a top destination for US exports from Oakland. This cargo business accounts for 16 per cent of all exports leaving from the Oakland Seaport.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote decarbonisation of the supply chain between Oakland and Japanese ports was one of the event’s highlights.
The Green Shipping Corridor MoU was signed on 19 October by officials from the Port of Oakland and the Port of Yokohama.
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Wan added: “Japan has demonstrated its commitment to decarbonisation initiatives and partnerships to achieve these ambitious goals. Agreements like this MoU are an essential part of establishing the explicit intent to reduce emissions and implementation of worthy projects that can get the job done.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with the Port of Yokohama and hope that our ports’ efforts inspire others around the world to do the same.”
Port of Oakland Chief Operations Officer, Kristi McKenney, who is leading the port’s zero-emissions initiatives and was an official signing witness to the MoU, stated: “Thanks to our staff of talented environmental scientists, planners and engineers, we continue to make tremendous progress in reducing port-related emissions.
“We are focused on upgrading, modernising and enhancing our electrical infrastructure and developing a wide range of decarbonisation pathways and technologies with our maritime tenants, customers, and supply chain partners.
“Agreements like this will help drive these critical initiatives forward and create positive change at the local and international levels.”
In October, the Port of Oakland announced that its hydrogen projects are in line to receive state funding of up to $1.2 billion.
