Feature, Freight News, Sea

EPA Invests $3 Billion in Clean Ports

[ November 7, 2024   //   Gary G Burrows ]

Ports in New York, New Jersey, California, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, the Pacific Northwest and Puerto Rico were among 55 successful applicants receiving nearly US$3 billion through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Ports Program.
Funded through the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, these grants will improve air quality at ports across the country by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million tonnes of carbon pollution, equivalent to nearly 400,000 homes usage for one year.
While ports are vital to the U.S. economy, the port and freight equipment responsible for moving goods including trucks, locomotives, marine vessels, and cargo-handling equipment contribute to significant levels of diesel air pollution at and near port facilities the EPA said.
In February 2024, EPA announced two separate funding opportunities for U.S. ports:
• A Zero-Emission Technology Deployment Competition to directly fund zero-emission equipment and infrastructure to reduce mobile source emissions.
• A Climate and Air Quality Planning Competition to fund climate and air quality planning activities.
The competitions closed in May 2024 with more than US$8 billion in requests from applicants across the country seeking to advance next-generation, clean technologies at U.S. ports.
Applications to the Clean Ports Program were evaluated in part on their workforce development efforts, to ensure that projects will expand access to high-quality jobs. Grant selections also align with the Biden administration’s national goal for a zero-emission freight sector, the National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization, and the ‘all-of government’ National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy.
Selected projects cover a wide range of human-operated and human-maintained equipment used at and around ports, with funds supporting the purchase of zero-emission equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation.
Initial estimates of tailpipe reductions from this new equipment are estimated to be over 3 million tonnes of CO2, 12,000 short tons of NOx, and 200 short tons of PM2.5 in the first 10 years of operation. These estimates are based on initial counts of proposed zero-emission equipment and shore power installations and do not consider benefits from retiring older vehicles, among other factors.

Zero-Emission Tech Projects

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is to receive US$3447 million from the EPA to collaborate with five partners to implement their proposed project, Catalyzing Change: Zero-Emissions NY-NJ Port Projects for a Greener Future.
Much of the funding – US$344 million – will allow the port authority and port operational partners such as terminal operators, truckers and other stakeholders to intensify their ongoing sustainability efforts.
The proposed project includes the deployment of electric cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks with supporting charging infrastructure, including through a Zero-emission Equipment for Ports, or ZEEP, Voucher Incentive Program and Green Drayage Accelerator (GDA) program.
PANYNJ, which has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, commits to reducing the number of polluting vehicles at the port by scrapping a portion of the existing fleet. The project also includes the installation of vessel shore power infrastructure. As part of this project, port authority will implement a comprehensive community engagement plan and train workers to operate and maintain new equipment and infrastructure.
The Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority will receiveUS$21.9 million to initiate the transition to a zero-emission future for the Port of Detroit in Michigan.
The proposed project includes the acquisition and deployment of battery-electric cargo handling equipment, vessels, railcar movers, charging equipment, and solar arrays to support the electricity needs of the new equipment.
The project also includes the scrappage of diesel cargo handling equipment, a vessel, and a railcar mover to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area.
As part of this project, the applicant plans to develop a stakeholder engagement plan to facilitate community engagement and a guidebook for workforce development.
The Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) will receive US$48.8 million to upgrade the Port of Savannah and the Port of Brunswick with vessel shore power systems. These systems will allow ships to ‘plug-in’ to electric grid power and turn off auxiliary diesel engines while at port.
In addition, the project includes the scrappage and replacement of diesel terminal tractors with new electric terminal tractors and the installation of electric charging infrastructure.
GPA plans to engage with communities through their community advisory network and conduct classroom and on the job training for workers related to shore power, zero-emission vehicles, and charging stations.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority is to receive US$77.7 million to deploy zero-emission port equipment across the Port of Philadelphia’s (PhilaPort) operations in Pennsylvania.
The equipment slated for purchase under this project includes zero-emissions (ZE) cargo handling equipment and associated charging infrastructure. The project also includes the scrappage of a portion of the existing diesel fleet to reduce air pollution at the port and in the surrounding area.
In addition to the deployment of zero-emission technology, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority plans to conduct community engagement and workforce development through this project.
The Port Department of the City of Oakland is to receive US$322.2 million to purchase and deploy zero-emission technology at the Port of Oakland in California.
Project activities include the deployment of electric and hydrogen cargo handling equipment, drayage trucks, charging infrastructure, and a battery energy storage system, and the scrappage of a portion of the existing diesel fleet.
The project includes community engagement activities, workforce training on zero-emission equipment, and efforts to expand access to high-quality jobs in near-port communities.

Climate, Air Quality Projects

The Port of Houston Authority will receive a nearly US$3 million grant for the Port Houston to accelerate the introduction of zero-emissions technology into the Houston Port ecosystem.
PHA’s PORT SHIFT program (Ports Optimizing Resilient Transportation through Sustainable, Human, Innovative, and Forward-looking Technology), comprises nine tasks: greenhouse gas emissions inventory; truck route analysis; infrastructure cost assessment; climate action plan; performance measurement framework; advisory council and community engagement forum; trucking industry collaborative; workforce planning and engagement; and resiliency planning.
The Puerto Rico Ports Authority is to receive US$1.8 million for planning activities including the development of a baseline air emissions inventory and two projected “business as usual” emissions inventories for 2030/2050, development of emissions reduction strategies, and stakeholder engagement.
Reduction strategies will prioritize technologically and operationally feasible vehicles and equipment that can be integrated to reduce criteria, greenhouse gas, and toxic air emissions.
The project also includes development of a resiliency plan to protect infrastructure from climate related vulnerabilities, such as hurricanes.
The Northwest Seaport Alliance is to receive US$3 million to conduct planning for a breakbulk cargo terminal at the Port of Tacoma in Washington.
Expected activities include completing a baseline emissions inventory and feasibility analysis of zero-emission technology to inform the development of a plan to transition 40 pieces of CHE and light-duty vehicles to zero-emissions, and engineering and design for shore power.
A workforce development and climate resilience needs assessment will be prepared as part of the planning process. Meaningful community is already a standard practice at NWSA, and the project is informed by community concerns.
More about the Clean Ports Program is available at https://www.epa.gov/ports-initiative.

Tags: Clean Ports Program