The Port of Long Beach will invest $102 million to advance zero-emissions operations by purchasing and maintaining cargo-handling equipment, funding cleaner marine engines and planning for a zero-carbon future at its terminals, according to the company's release.
The funding comes through the System-Wide Investment in Freight Transport (SWIFT), an initiative supported by the California State Transportation Agency’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program.
According to the Port, SWIFT aims to improve goods movement efficiency and reduce environmental impacts on nearby communities.
Of the total funding, $93.4 million will be used for the acquisition of 65 zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment units, related charging infrastructure, and the replacement of 37 marine engines with cleaner engines or zero-emission alternatives.
Another $8.3 million will go toward designing zero-emissions infrastructure at SSA Terminals at Pier A and Pacific Container Terminal at Pier J.
“The Port of Long Beach is on the road to zero emissions, leveraging demonstration projects, investments and grants to reach a greener future,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero.
All cargo-handling equipment funded through the program will be manually operated. Grant recipients are required to provide at least 20% of the total project costs under the passthrough agreement approved by the Long Beach Harbor Commission on Monday.
The Port of Long Beach is a department of the City of Long Beach, California, operating as a landlord port that leases terminals and facilities to private operators. It is one of the two ports within the San Pedro Bay Port Complex, the largest container port complex in the United States.