By Karen Robes Meeks
The nation's two busiest seaports honored California Clean Air Day on Wednesday with the introduction of green cargo-handling equipment.
The Port of Los Angeles introduced two pre-commercial battery-electric top handlers that will be tested over a 12-month period, starting at the end of the year, at the Everport Container Terminal.
“Today shows we are making good on our pledge to do the hard work of advancing commercially feasible solutions to meet our goal of transitioning all cargo-handling equipment to zero emissions by 2030,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “We're excited to power up these battery-electric top handlers and test them under the real-world conditions of a working container terminal.”
Meanwhile, the Port of Long Beach announced that hydrogen- and electric-powered cargo handling equipment will be tested at two shipping terminals.
The equipment is funded through a $5.3 million California Air Resources Board grant as part of the “C-PORT,” or Commercialization of POLB Off-Road Technology Project.
According to the port, five vehicles will be tested, including two battery-electric top handlers at SSA Marine's Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J, as well as one fuel cell yard tractor, one battery-electric top handler and one battery-electric yard tractor at Long Beach Container Terminal at Pier E.
“Projects like these are designed to take us down the road to being the world's first zero-emissions seaport,” said Port of Long Beach Executive Director Mario Cordero. “We have our labor partners of the ILWU, our terminal operators SSA and LBCT, and our regulatory agencies all working together to find the right technologies to reach our zero-emissions goals. With teamwork and cooperation like that, I think we can look forward to many more innovative projects to demonstrate new technologies.”
