Oakland port grant to cut ships’ dirty diesel pollution

By Cecily Burt Oakland Tribune By 2014, half the large container ships that dock at the Port of Oakland must shut down their dirty auxiliary diesel engines and plug into clean electrical power. And the port's $90 million estimate for meeting that state deadline got a boost this week when the Air Quality Management District awarded a $5 million grant to help bring electrical shore power to three Oakland berths. "Shore power is critical to both cleaning up the air and maintaining revenues at the port so we can continue delivering economic benefits to the region and state," said Port of Oakland Executive Director Omar Benjamin. The project is expensive and the Port of Oakland still has a long way to go. Including the new grant, it has raised $13 million toward the $90 million estimate to plan and build the land-based power grid for the ships. Combined with investments made by APL and Ports America, the costs to provide electrical plug in to shore power exceeds $100 million. And that's just the land-based effort. The maritime industry is also investing approximately $1 billion to retrofit their vessels, said Delphine Prévost, the port's senior maritime projects administrator. APL is spending $11 million to outfit five of its vessels -- half of its Oakland fleet -- to accept plug-in electric power and bring compatible electrical systems to two berths at APL's Global Gateway Central marine terminal, three years ahead of schedule. The company's cost is also being partially funded by $4.8 million in grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. In addition to the 2014 deadline, the California Air Resources Board has ruled that 80 percent of all ships in dock at California ports must plug in to shore power. The Oakland port board of commissioners hopes to exceed that goal by 5 percent. Oakland's port is the fifth busiest container facility in the country. According to the air district, the shore power project at the Port of Oakland will cut 33 tons of pollutants and particulate matter every year. Microscopic particulates generated by diesel engines can lodge in the lungs and cause serious health problems such as asthma and other life threatening diseases. "Shore power is one of the most effective ways to reduce emissions from vessels at the Port of Oakland," said Jack Broadbent, air district executive officer. "These projects will significantly reduce pollution and improve air quality."

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Oakland port grant to cut ships’ dirty diesel pollution

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