By Karen Robes Meeks
Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle told international shipping officials that the Northern California port intends to step up its efforts to reduce diesel pollution by pushing for more shore power.
“Our goal is to plug in every vessel,” said Lytle, who recently met with visiting members of the Washington, DC-based World Shipping Council.
He told the group that the port has lowered diesel emissions by 75 percent in the last 10 years, with truck emissions down by 98 percent, and added that there’s a real opportunity now on the vessel side to further reduce pollution.
“If there are ways to strengthen our Port electrical infrastructure to promote more use of electrical power from our grid, we will do it,” Lytle said. “We will collaborate with shipping lines and the marine terminal operators here in Oakland to build on the progress we’ve already made.”
Oakland is taking stock of what improvements need to be made in order to allow for more ships to use shore power, including adding more landside electrical vaults and more substations to boost power supply.
Showing posts with label diesel emissions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diesel emissions. Show all posts
Friday, September 15, 2017
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
Oakland: Port Diesel Emissions Down 98 Percent in 10 Years
By Mark Edward Nero
Diesel emissions from drayage trucks serving the Port of Oakland dropped 98 percent between 2005 and 2015, and ship emissions fell 75 percent during that same timeframe, according to an annual emissions inventory released by the port Oct. 28.
The results indicate the port is advancing its 2008 commitment to reduce seaport-related diesel health risk by 85 percent by the year 2020. The port said that an analysis of its 2015 Emissions Inventory shows a 76 percent decrease in total diesel emissions at Oakland. “This is a significant achievement,” said Richard Sinkoff, Director of Environmental Programs and Planning at the port. “The reduction in seaport diesel emissions is important because it’s closely related to reducing health risk for our neighboring communities.”
According to the port’s study, truck diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions have decreased from 16 tons in 2005 to 0.4 tons in 2015, while overall DPM emissions decreased from 261 tons to 63 tons.
DPM exposure has been linked to increasing health risk for lung cancer.
The port and environmental consultant Ramboll Environ compiled and calculated emissions data for 2015 from ships, harbor craft, cargo handling equipment, trucks, and locomotives.
In addition to DPM from trucks being down 98 percent, DPM from locomotives, cargo handling equipment, oceangoing vessels and harbor craft were down 89 percent, 82 percent, 75 percent and 53 percent respectively, according to the data.
The port listed a number of contributing factors to its emissions improvements, including: a $38 million grant program to upgrade and replace the oldest trucks operating at the port; a ban on trucks that aren’t compliant with statewide emissions requirements; and shipping lines switching to cleaner burning, low sulfur fuel.
Also cited as a reason was a $60 million project to construct a power grid that ships can plug into at berth rather than relying on auxiliary diesel engines.
“The work and investments by the port and our partners have nearly eliminated port truck emissions and greatly reduced other emissions,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle said. “But we’re not done – we’ll keep working to minimize the potential impact that trade has on our community.”
The port first placed a big emphasis on diesel emissions reductions with its 2009 Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan, which was adopted to reduce the health risk from diesel emissions.
Diesel emissions from drayage trucks serving the Port of Oakland dropped 98 percent between 2005 and 2015, and ship emissions fell 75 percent during that same timeframe, according to an annual emissions inventory released by the port Oct. 28.
The results indicate the port is advancing its 2008 commitment to reduce seaport-related diesel health risk by 85 percent by the year 2020. The port said that an analysis of its 2015 Emissions Inventory shows a 76 percent decrease in total diesel emissions at Oakland. “This is a significant achievement,” said Richard Sinkoff, Director of Environmental Programs and Planning at the port. “The reduction in seaport diesel emissions is important because it’s closely related to reducing health risk for our neighboring communities.”
According to the port’s study, truck diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions have decreased from 16 tons in 2005 to 0.4 tons in 2015, while overall DPM emissions decreased from 261 tons to 63 tons.
DPM exposure has been linked to increasing health risk for lung cancer.
The port and environmental consultant Ramboll Environ compiled and calculated emissions data for 2015 from ships, harbor craft, cargo handling equipment, trucks, and locomotives.
In addition to DPM from trucks being down 98 percent, DPM from locomotives, cargo handling equipment, oceangoing vessels and harbor craft were down 89 percent, 82 percent, 75 percent and 53 percent respectively, according to the data.
The port listed a number of contributing factors to its emissions improvements, including: a $38 million grant program to upgrade and replace the oldest trucks operating at the port; a ban on trucks that aren’t compliant with statewide emissions requirements; and shipping lines switching to cleaner burning, low sulfur fuel.
Also cited as a reason was a $60 million project to construct a power grid that ships can plug into at berth rather than relying on auxiliary diesel engines.
“The work and investments by the port and our partners have nearly eliminated port truck emissions and greatly reduced other emissions,” Port of Oakland Executive Director Chris Lytle said. “But we’re not done – we’ll keep working to minimize the potential impact that trade has on our community.”
The port first placed a big emphasis on diesel emissions reductions with its 2009 Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan, which was adopted to reduce the health risk from diesel emissions.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
POLA Investing in Electric Crane Project
By Mark Edward Nero
The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners has authorized
plans by metal recycling company SA Recycling to replace an older diesel mobile
crane with a new crane that will transition to an all-electric mode when an
electrification project is complete by next January.
Under the plan, the crane will initially be operated with a
cleaner Tier 4 diesel engine. Then, after January 2017, it will run solely on
electricity except for no more than 12 hours per year for standard maintenance.
When the newly installed Tier 4 engine replaces the existing
950-horsepower diesel-powered Tier 2 crane, it is expected to eliminate 74 tons
of nitrogen oxides, three tons of particulate matter, three tons of
hydrocarbons, and 14 tons of carbon monoxide emissions over the life of the
equipment.
The new crane will be used at SA Recycling’s scrap metal
recycling, processing and export operations at the Port of L.A. to load
processed metals onto vessels to be shipped overseas.
The project is funded in part by a US Environmental
Protection Agency $1.3 million Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grant to
the port. The remaining cost of the $5 million crane replacement project is
funded by SA Recycling, which will own, operate and maintain the crane.
The Port of L.A. was one of four US ports to receive a DERA
grant last year. The grants are aimed at reducing diesel emissions and
improving air quality, particularly for communities near port operations.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Oakland Port Emissions Down Significantly
By Mark Edward Nero
Port of Oakland efforts to cut diesel emissions are producing dramatic results, according to research results revealed June 24.
A University of California expert recently presented research showing a 76 percent drop in black carbon emission from harbor trucks, and a day later, Chinese officials from Tianjin, the world’s fourth-largest port, visited Oakland to find out how it’s done.
UC Civil and Environmental Engineering Prof. Robert Harley said state and port programs have modernized Oakland’s harbor truck fleet. The result: not only are black carbon emissions plummeting, but nitrogen oxides, which create ozone, are down 53 percent. Prof. Harley’s Oakland research, conducted between 2009 and 2013, was shared at a state Environmental Protection Agency webcast in Sacramento.
According to the port, its truck programs eliminated 14 tons of diesel particulate emissions between 2005 and 2012. During the same period, it eliminated another 151 tons of particulate matter from vessels. Further reductions have been achieved since then, the port said.
The port is on target to reach an 85 percent overall reduction in diesel emissions by 2020.
Port officials demonstrated Oakland’s vessel clean-up initiative to a five-member Tianjin delegation. The port’s shoreside power program connects vessels at berth to the landside power grid. By relying on shoreside electricity, vessels can switch off diesel generators formerly used to power their systems in port.
Tianjin, situated on North China’s Bohai Bay, is a commercial gateway to Beijing. It handles the equivalent of 13 million TEUs annually.
Port of Oakland efforts to cut diesel emissions are producing dramatic results, according to research results revealed June 24.
A University of California expert recently presented research showing a 76 percent drop in black carbon emission from harbor trucks, and a day later, Chinese officials from Tianjin, the world’s fourth-largest port, visited Oakland to find out how it’s done.
UC Civil and Environmental Engineering Prof. Robert Harley said state and port programs have modernized Oakland’s harbor truck fleet. The result: not only are black carbon emissions plummeting, but nitrogen oxides, which create ozone, are down 53 percent. Prof. Harley’s Oakland research, conducted between 2009 and 2013, was shared at a state Environmental Protection Agency webcast in Sacramento.
According to the port, its truck programs eliminated 14 tons of diesel particulate emissions between 2005 and 2012. During the same period, it eliminated another 151 tons of particulate matter from vessels. Further reductions have been achieved since then, the port said.
The port is on target to reach an 85 percent overall reduction in diesel emissions by 2020.
Port officials demonstrated Oakland’s vessel clean-up initiative to a five-member Tianjin delegation. The port’s shoreside power program connects vessels at berth to the landside power grid. By relying on shoreside electricity, vessels can switch off diesel generators formerly used to power their systems in port.
Tianjin, situated on North China’s Bohai Bay, is a commercial gateway to Beijing. It handles the equivalent of 13 million TEUs annually.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Study: Oakland Diesel Emissions Down 50 Percent
There’s been a dramatic reduction in air pollution from sources at the Port of Oakland since the port implemented stricter air quality policies in 2008, according to a new report by the University of California at Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies.
The study reveals a 50 percent decline in diesel particulate matter emissions from drayage trucks and a 40 percent decline in nitrogen oxide emissions in the harbor area following implementation of the clean trucks component of the port’s Comprehensive Truck Management Program, or CTMP.
“This study indicates that we are on the right path,” port Executive Director Omar Benjamin said. “We have been and continue to work with our partners to achieve our goal that, by the year 2020, the Port of Oakland will have cut the health risk from diesel particulate matter at our seaport by 85 percent.”
UC Berkeley measured ambient conditions in the port area where there’s concentrated truck traffic. Air samples were taken in November 2009 and June 2010. The data were used for an independent, academic and peer-reviewed study that looked for changes in diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions from drayage trucks in the area.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners unanimously adopted a major maritime air quality policy statement in March 2008, along with actions to reduce diesel emissions that are related to health risk.
The CTMP is part of the port’s overall Maritime Air Quality Improvement Program – a master plan regarding long-term strategy, initiatives, programs and projects to reduce health risk related to seaport sources of diesel pollution.
The study reveals a 50 percent decline in diesel particulate matter emissions from drayage trucks and a 40 percent decline in nitrogen oxide emissions in the harbor area following implementation of the clean trucks component of the port’s Comprehensive Truck Management Program, or CTMP.
“This study indicates that we are on the right path,” port Executive Director Omar Benjamin said. “We have been and continue to work with our partners to achieve our goal that, by the year 2020, the Port of Oakland will have cut the health risk from diesel particulate matter at our seaport by 85 percent.”
UC Berkeley measured ambient conditions in the port area where there’s concentrated truck traffic. Air samples were taken in November 2009 and June 2010. The data were used for an independent, academic and peer-reviewed study that looked for changes in diesel particulate matter and nitrogen oxides emissions from drayage trucks in the area.
The Oakland Board of Port Commissioners unanimously adopted a major maritime air quality policy statement in March 2008, along with actions to reduce diesel emissions that are related to health risk.
The CTMP is part of the port’s overall Maritime Air Quality Improvement Program – a master plan regarding long-term strategy, initiatives, programs and projects to reduce health risk related to seaport sources of diesel pollution.
