Once a major source of pollution, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been working hard to become “green” by testing and developing technologies aimed at moving more cargo with less pollution.

In the past two years, the ports and their partners have handed out
nearly 40 million dollars for the development of devices and systems,
such as a pollution-reducing hood for a ship’s smokestack, the Los
Angeles Times reported on Sunday.  Port officials told the newspaper
they have been contacted by firms in 170 countries that hope to sell
ways to reduce pollution and energy consumption by ships, trucks,
trains and heavy equipment.  “Individual ports are working with their
vendors to try new things, but I’m not aware of another port that has a
program like Los Angeles and Long Beach,” said Meredith Martino,
manager of government relations and environmental policy for the
American Association of Port Authorities.

“They have come up with a systematic way of testing new ideas,” he said.

Among the investments that port officials hope will pay off are:  — A
“cold-ironing” system that enables ships at port to hook into shore
power and turn off diesel-powered generators;  — An electric truck
capable of hauling 60,000-pound cargo containers at speeds up to 40
mph, a feat accomplished by wiring together an array of forklift
batteries; and  — the world’s first diesel-electric hybrid tugboat,
built for Foss Maritime Co. of Seattle, that will work local waters
using less fuel and emitting fewer pollutants.  Many of the projects
were funneled through the Technology Advancement Program and started as
part of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, adopted in late
2006.

The twin ports, in collaboration with the California Air Resources
Board, the South Coast Air Quality Management District and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, have agreed to fund 14 projects, many
of which involve technologies developed by West Coast companies.

Other programs include the development of liquefied natural gas
vehicles that would replace diesel-powered trucks at port container
terminals; a flywheel technology that would capture energy from the
action of yard cranes and convert it to power to reduce diesel
emissions; and a high-performance truck engine that would operate at
2010 emissions standards, the paper reported.

Source: Xinhua

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