The Port of Los Angeles has reported that the progress in its efforts to cut emissions from ships, trains, trucks, harbor craft, and cargo handling equipment showed the port is meeting and exceeding all 2023 targets for reducing primary pollutants despite rising cargo volumes.
According to its 2018 Inventory of Air Emissions Report, while 2018 container throughput rose to a historic high of nearly 9.46 million TEUs, up from 9.34 million TEUs in 2017, nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions are still 60% below 2005 levels, with an actual year-to-year decrease from 2017 of 1%.
The Port’s Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) compares emissions reductions for each calendar year to the 2005 baseline year to track progress toward CAAP goals.
“Even as cargo has increased 26% since the baseline year of 2005, we’ve sustained the remarkable clean air gains we’ve made since then,” said Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka, while reiterating that the goal of the port is to get to zero emissions.
Sulfur oxides (SOx) emissions in 2018 remain 98% below 2005 levels, with an actual year-to-year decrease from 2017 of 2%, while diesel particulate matter (DPM) emissions remain at 87% below 2005 levels, though actual emissions of DPM increased slightly from 2017 by 1%.
In general, the Port of Los Angeles said greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are down 10% below 2005 levels, up 3% from 2017 levels.
“The annual increases are not surprising given the 1.3% growth in container cargo volume since the previous year,” said port director of environmental management Christopher Cannon.
“They underscore the importance of further reducing combustion-based engine technologies in heavy-duty equipment in port operations and ultimately moving toward widespread use of zero-emission technologies to achieve continued GHG reductions.”
The Port said it is currently leading or participating in 16 projects with multiple partners to demonstrate near-zero and zero emissions engines, emissions control technology, and alternative fueling and charging stations including – testing hybrid and fully battery-electric, natural gas and hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks; battery-electric forklifts, yard tractors, top handlers, and rubber-tired gantry cranes; and emissions-control equipment on large ships and harbor craft.
All are conducted in and around the San Pedro Bay ports.
“These projects are among our most ambitious clean air initiatives to date,” Cannon said. “Year-to-year emissions may fluctuate as we develop, assess and implement these initiatives, but as we reduce or eliminate combustion, we move the needle closer to zero,” he added.
The annual inventory is the Port’s primary tool for tracking the progress of multiple strategies for reducing and, where possible, eliminating air pollution from all port-related sources. The latest results are based on data collected during the calendar year 2018 and reviewed by regional, state and federal air regulatory agencies, Port of LA said.
The Port of LA highlighted the following trends in its 2018 report:
- The combination of larger ships carrying more containers, fewer total ship calls, and the Port’s vessel emissions reduction strategies resulted in a record reduction of ship emissions in all categories of pollutants, noting that ships are the single largest source of emissions, generating more than 30% of all other pollutants measured.
- Cargo handling equipment, heavy-duty trucks, harbor craft, and locomotives generated a modest increase in some pollutants compared with the previous year.
- Heavy-duty trucks are the single largest source of GHGs, producing nearly 35% of GHGs from all port-related sources.
The Port of Los Angeles said among the measures it is implementing include vessel speed reduction, plugging into shore-side electricity at berth, use of cleaner-burning fuel, and incentives to attract newer, cleaner vessels.
It is also requiring all new drayage trucks calling at the ports to meet 2014 clean engine standards and establishing a Clean Truck Fund Rate on all trucks that do not meet near-zero and zero-emissions standards; and requiring terminal operators to purchase zero-emission equipment, if feasible, or near-zero or the cleanest available when procuring new off-road yard equipment.
For ships, the port said it is collaborating with vessel owners and operators to increase participation in technology demonstration and emissions reduction programs. For harbor crafts, it said operators are accelerating the deployment of cleaner engines and operational strategies to reduce harbor craft emissions.
For locomotives, the port said it is partnering with the Class 1 line-haul and short-line railroads serving the ports to modernize the locomotive and switcher fleet with the cleanest available engines.
"The 2018 report shows the Port continues to meet and exceed all 2023 targets for reducing primary pollutants. The Port reached its 2023 DPM reduction goal in 2012 (77%), its SOx reduction goal in 2014 (93%), and its NOx target (59%) in 2017. Based on its 87% reduction of DPM emissions, the port also continues to exceed its 2020 goal of reducing the health risk of port-related operations first reached in 2014," it added.
Going forward, the Port of Los Angeles said it aims to reduce GHG emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
The port facilitated $297 billion in trade during 2018, making it one of the busiest cargo port in the US.
