The US government, through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), committed to investing more than $46 million to electrify container ports in California.
FHWA’s funding
According to Power Progress, California-based Long Beach Container Terminal (LBCT) successfully secured a whopping $34.9 million grant from the FHWA.
The fresh funding will help electrify 155 on-site commercial trucks and buses in Long Beach, California. It will also support the deployment of new charging infrastructures to support the launch of new zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs).
LBCT announced that the funding will enable it to pursue its planned multi-billion dollar investments in cleaner logistical operations.
“Our vehicle electrification project, coupled with previous investments, enables LBCT to achieve a unique status that is reframing the way the world views sustainable goods movement, enhancing community quality of life and climate change.”
Anthony Otto, LBCT CEO
LBTC pledged to match the FHWA’s aid with its own funding to support the $44 million LBCT Electrification Advancement Project (LEAP).
Electrification progress
The Port of Long Beach had plans to develop zero-emission cranes and cargo handling machines at its terminals in 2018, as Power Progress reported.
LBTC asserted that the organization has spent over $2.5 billion to electrify its cranes and cargo-handling vehicles in the past 15 years. Impressively, these initiatives have apparently resulted in an 86% greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria pollutant emissions reductions.
LBCT also indicated in its 2023 progress report that the organization would receive more than $67 million in federal and state grant funds in the past year. The funding backed the launch of “104 pieces of zero emission, human-operated terminal equipment and more than 100 electric charging units.”
Another green project in Long Beach
In a separate project, charging infrastructure giant Voltera announced that its sites near Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Savannah, Georgia ports have secured a $9.6 million grant from the FHWA to deploy new charging stations. Meanwhile, its sites in Wilmington, California, will benefit from $1.8 million in funding.
In total, Voltera received $11.4 million for its planned electrification projects across the US.
“Having a roadmap in terms of how to roll out freight corridors allows us to catalyze a lot of investment from the private sector to complement the incentives that the government has provided.”
Matt Horton, Voltera CEO
Container ports used to be some of the most heavily polluted areas in the world, posing health risks to people living and working near them. Therefore, the electrification of the container ports in Long Beach is indeed a positive change. It will also substantially support the US efforts to combat climate change.
