ENVIRONMENT
Port of Stockton moves toward zero-emissions goal
U
ndoubtedly, the most progressive efforts in North America to reduce air emissions can be found in California. With the California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) goal of five million zero-emission fleet vehicles by 2030; the addition of tankers and auto carriers to the At-Berth Regulation for ocean-going vessels; and a proposed amendment to the existing Cargo Handling Equipment regulation to transition to zero-emission equipment, California is setting a high standard to which other North American ports will have to follow. The recent partnership between SSA Marine, the Port of Stockton, XL Lifts, World Forklifts, and Wiggins Lift Co. for 36 new zero-emission forklifts is a good example of how success can be achieved in meeting the zero-emission goal. “Our leadership team and environmental department continue to leverage innovation and forge new partnerships that make projects such as this possible,” said Port of Stockton Chair R. Jay Allen, adding that the Port of Stockton has also deployed two multi-functional utility vehicles and a railcar mover to assist with emissions reductions.
“Our leadership team and environmental department continue to leverage innovation and forge new partnerships that make projects such as this possible...” priorities were weighed against opportunities for funding and the recognition that, at some point, the transition would have to occur. Those conversations, initially internal, expanded to include Joe Carrillo, Northern California Regional Vice President for terminal operator SSA Marine, and ultimately, the Ports of Oakland and Long Beach. “This project ties in with SSA Marine’s overall strategy for accelerating the use of zero-emission vehicles in Northern California,” said Carrillo. “There will be dramatic changes over the next eight years, given the 2030 goal for zero emissions. Stockton is at the forefront of making the transition and with a number of ports ready to follow suit, competition for funding programs will increase.”
The resulting partnership between the Ports of Stockton, Oakland, and Long Beach allowed the three to pursue grant opportunities offered by CARB that offered a 50/50 split of the cost of cargo handling units. “By partnering with the other ports, who brought additional resources to the table, we were able to enhance the grant program so that the Port of Stockton’s share was reduced further to 20 percent,” Wingfield said, adding that, with an annual budget of about $60 million for all of their operations, this one project alone could easily have cost upwards of $10 million. Wingfield also noted that the Port recently completed an emission inventory based on 2018 activities, their busiest year to date. “The inventory allows for better planning and
Background
For decades, CARB has been incrementally increasing regulations to reduce air emissions with the goal of reaching zero emissions by 2030. For Jeff Wingfield, Director of Environment and Public Affairs, and the team at the Port of Stockton, their commitment goes beyond current legal obligations to ensure a good quality of life for people in the region. “We had installed particulate filters, but a lot of equipment was outdated,” said Wingfield, “so we started having discussions about what it would take to get to zero emissions.” Considerations of cost, available technology, and identifying
New electric vehicles for the Port of Stockton gets them closer to their zero-emission goal. April 2021 — PACIFIC PORTS — 25
