Final shore power test conducted successfully on Hapag-Lloyd's Dallas Express vessel located at the Port of Oakland's Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT) on December 1, 2012. Shore Power Regulations (PDF)

Oakland, Calif.— Dec. 3, 2012—The Port of Oakland reached another milestone in the implementation of its shore power program with maritime partner Hapag-Lloyd with the successful completion of a final test of the shore-to-ship connection.

This past summer, the Port of Oakland and global shipping company Hapag-Lloyd conducted an initial test of the shore connection system on their vessel, Dallas Express. A final test was conducted successfully at the Port’s Oakland International Container Terminal (operated by Stevedoring Services of America) on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012.

Shore Power (also known as “cold-ironing”) is a shore-to-ship connection that provides electrical power to the ship, thereby reducing diesel and other air pollutant emissions from ships while they are at berth.

“The Port of Oakland’s Shore Power Program is currently estimated to cost approximately $70 million,” said Port Acting Executive Director Deborah Ale Flint. “This significant financial commitment demonstrates the Port’s environmental leadership and overall commitment toward improving air quality.”

The total combined cost of the Port’s shore power infrastructure and similar improvements being made by the private sector at the Port is estimated to be about $85 million. Significant additional cost is being borne by the private sector to retrofit the vessels so that ships can plug into the shore-side system.

“We thank Hapag-Lloyd because their commitment and efforts made this shore power project possible” said Ale Flint. “We also thank the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) for their $12.8 million funding contribution.” The BAAQMD funding comes from the Carl Moyer Program/Mobile Source Incentive Fund.

To meet the California Air Resources Board (CARB) regulation for “vessels at berth,” one-half of a fleet’s vessel calls at California ports will be required to use shore power beginning in 2014. Eighty percent of a fleet’s visits must be shore powered visits by 2020. Some use of shore power is taking place before 2014, with retrofitted vessels like those of Hapag-Lloyd that dock at terminals already equipped with shore power.

Shore power reduces greenhouse and other combustion byproducts. These reductions in emissions significantly improve air quality and reduce health risk from diesel and other air pollutant emissions near the Port, consistent with the Port’s Maritime Air Quality Improvement Plan.

Shore Power Fact Sheet

Definition of Shore Power
Ships at berth require power for minimal functions. Shore power (a.k.a. cold-ironing) is a land to vessel power connection. At Oakland, an ocean-going ship ready for shore power has a large cable that plugs into a very large electrical “outlet” in the wharf. This connection allows electricity from the electric grid to power the berthed vessel so that the ship’s diesel engines can be turned off. Thus shore power nearly eliminates diesel emissions and reduces emissions of other air pollutants that would otherwise come from a vessel at berth running its diesel engines.

The History of Shore Power
Shore power regulation comes from the response to state and public concern in California to reduce air pollutants caused by diesel-fueled engines, including berthed vessels. As outlined in the shore power regulation, Section 93118.3, Title 17, Chapter 1, Subchapter 7.5, of the California Code of Regulations, the purpose of this regulation is to reduce diesel particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides emissions (NOx). The regulation requires that all operators of container vessels that visit California ports more than 25 times a year employ an emission reduction system for their fleet by Jan. 1, 2014. (Reference materials at www.arb.ca.govz).

Shore Power at the Port of Oakland
Shore power at Oakland is a two-phase, multi-year program covering eleven berths on six terminals. Phase one included infrastructure (substations, plugs, conduit, etc.) for two berths at Total Terminals Inc. (TTI - Hanjin) and one berth at Stevedoring Services of America (SSA-Oakland International Container Terminal). Phase one also included some common infrastructure that will serve multiple terminals. Phase one is complete.

Phase two is the larger phase and includes additional infrastructure installations at TTI and SSA, as well as shore power installations at the Ben E. Nutter (Evergreen), TraPac, and Port’s America Outer Harbor terminals. Phase two construction is underway with completion scheduled for Fall/Winter 2013. Additionally, American President Lines and Ports America Outer Harbor Terminal LLC received grants for their own shore power installations at several other berths.

Cost and Partners
Through 2013, significant expenditures will take place to install shore power infrastructure. The Port of Oakland’s estimated cost is approximately $70 million; the Port & Private Sector combined estimated cost is approximately $85 million.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District & U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) contributed $12.8 million to the Port’s shore power project; up to an additional $19.9 million will be provided to the Port by grants from the California Air Resources Board and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Federal Highway Administration.

Additionally, shipping lines that own and operate the vessels bear major additional costs associated with retrofitting the ocean-going ships so that they can plug into shore power at berth.

In addition to these funding partners and the work of Hapag-Lloyd, NYK Line and Yang Ming Line have been instrumental in commissioning Phase 1 of the shore power system at the Port of Oakland.

Why Shore Power
The Port of Oakland took on the cost and burden of installing a shore power system to assist its tenants and customers with the financial and operational challenge of complying with California’s new regulation and to dramatically reduce air pollutant emissions that affect nearby Oakland residents from berthed vessels.

About the Port of Oakland:
The Port of Oakland oversees the Oakland seaport, Oakland International Airport, and 20 miles of waterfront. The Oakland seaport is the fifth busiest container port in the U.S.; Oakland International Airport is the second largest San Francisco Bay Area airport offering over 300 daily passenger and cargo flights; and the Port’s real estate includes commercial developments such as Jack London Square and hundreds of acres of public parks and conservation areas. Together, through Port operations and those of its tenants and users, the Port supports more than 73,000 jobs in the region and nearly 827,000 jobs across the United States. The Port of Oakland was established in 1927 and is an independent department of the City of Oakland. Connect with the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport through Facebook, or with the Port on Twitter, YouTube, and at www.portofoakland.com.

Shore Power Regulations (PDF)

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Robert Bernardo
Communications Manager
Port of Oakland
510-627-1401
[email protected]

Marilyn Sandifur
Spokesperson
Port of Oakland
(510) 627-1193
Click here to contact Marilyn Sandifur