When ships use shore power, they tap landside electricity for their power needs at berth – lights, pumps, communications, refrigeration – instead of running diesel-fuelled auxiliary on-board engines. Shore power cuts air pollution from ships at berth by 95%.
The Port is completing US$100m worth of dockside power hookups, vessel operators are retrofitting older ships for shore power and building new ones, and Southern California Edison is installing a new transmission system to meet the increased power demand. The preparations are being made as California’s shore power deadline approaches: by Jan. 1, 2014 vessel operators must plug in half of all cargo container, cruise and reefer vessels and eliminate half of their emissions.
The shore power regulation stemmed from the commitment made by the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles as part of their 2006 joint San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). Prior to the creation of the state regulation, the ports’ CAAP established a goal to use shore power at container terminals. Several Port of Long Beach terminals are already equipped with shore power.
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