Ports are major sources of air pollution, but fortunately they are also excellent candidates for electrification. The twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been testing various types of electrified vehicles for several years.

Now the Port of Los Angeles has launched the Green Omni Terminal Demonstration Project, a full-scale, real-time demonstration of clean technologies at a working marine terminal.

As part of the project, Pasha Stevedoring, the company that handles vessel loading and unloading at the port, will deploy a fleet of new and retrofitted zero-emission EVs and cargo-handling equipment, including four electric yard tractors, two high-tonnage forklifts, two drayage trucks and a top handler. Two wharf cranes will be upgraded with new electrical drives and control systems.

When complete, the marine terminal will be able to generate all of its energy needs from renewable sources. The project also features a microgrid that includes a 1.03-megawatt photovoltaic rooftop array, a 2.6-megawatt-hour battery storage system, and bi-directional vehicle charging equipment.

The Chinese-owned firm BYD, which has a manufacturing facility in California, will provide technology for the electric yard trucks and forklifts, as well as the battery storage systems.

“This is a Wright Brothers moment,” said Pasha Senior VP Jeffrey Burgin. “We’re going to be the proving ground to change the paradigm of how large industrial facilities can run on clean energy.”

“It is exciting to see a project with so many emerging zero- or near-zero emission solutions for handling and moving freight,” said California Air Resources Board Chair Mary Nichols. “These innovative clean technologies will help clean the air in port-adjacent and disadvantaged communities, and are at the heart of California’s comprehensive effort to meet regional air quality and statewide climate goals.”

Source: Port of Los Angeles
Image: Port of San Diego (CC BY 2.0)