The Port of Long Beach is moving ahead with a US$ 16.8 million project to build infrastructure to support electric-powered, zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment, and to demonstrate the world’s first heavy-duty, off-road, direct current fast-charging system in a seaport environment.
Funded in part by an $8 million California Energy Commission grant, the Port Advanced Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) Project supports the first phase of a transition to a zero-emissions future at Total Terminals International’s container terminal at Pier T, the Port’s largest.
The PAVE Project will design and build charging outlets for almost 40 pieces of electrical terminal equipment at TTI.
If it proves viable to modify four battery-electric yard tractors for connection to a DC fast-charging system, it could eliminate the need for onboard equipment chargers and potentially increase battery capacity of electric vehicles.
Other objectives of the project include learning about the electrical grid impacts associated with the widespread deployment of electric vehicles, equipment and developing a port-wide 'Dynamic Energy Forecasting Tool' to predict how much energy and supporting infrastructure seaports will need to support zero-emissions terminal equipment.
Lou Anne Bynum, Harbor Commission President, said: “When finished, this project will be a cost-effective, replicable model that the Port of Long Beach and others can use to speed progress to zero emissions.
“It’s part of a wide array of approaches we are using to reduce air pollution for our community and deliver on our promise as the Green Port.”
Read 'Port Everglades: A Framework for Cooperation with the EPA', a Port Technology technical paper, to learn about how the US port is handling US Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality legislation
After a demonstration, which is on schedule to begin early in 2021, the port has set the project’s completion date for March 2022.
The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship.
With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.
Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach Executive Director, commented: “For more than a decade, we’ve shown that economic strength and a cleaner environment can exist together.
“We’ve done that by innovating with projects like these and leading the way forward for the industry.”
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