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Workers plugging in a cargo container ship that uses shore power at Terminal 5 on the Duwamish Waterway in Seattle. (The Northwest Seaport Alliance Photo)
Seattle-area seaports have teamed up to go after $500 million of federal funding to bring zero-carbon technologies to maritime operations.
The ports of Seattle and Tacoma along with The Northwest Seaport Alliance applied for grant dollars that would support multiple initiatives to move off of diesel and other fossil fuels, replacing them with electrification and clean sources of hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and biodiesel. Efforts include installing infrastructure to plug ships into the grid and switching from diesel-powered trucks and cargo-moving equipment to cleaner options.
David Fujimoto, senior program manager at the Port of Seattle, sad it’s an “almost one-time opportunity” to land federal support to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
The dollars would come from a $3 billion fund created by the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and is allocated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Winning applications are expected to be announced this fall.
The funding would have multiple benefits, Fujimoto said, including economic development, reducing carbon emissions, and improving air quality for communities near the ports.
The alliance and the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver, British Columbia, have officially been working since 2008 to cut and track their pollution emissions through the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy.
The maritime sector is a challenging space to decarbonize. Some of the technology is still being developed, including solutions for cargo ships. And there are big costs for purchasing new vehicles, vessels and machinery.
Take drayage trucks, for example. The trucks, which are used to move cargo from the port to rail stations or other transport hubs, cost about $50,000 for a used, diesel-powered vehicle. A new zero-emissions truck could cost more than 10-times that — and for a technology the trucker doesn’t know.
Electric cargo handling equipment being plugged into power to recharge at The Northwest Seaport Alliance’s South Intermodal Yard at the Port of Tacoma. (The Northwest Seaport Alliance Photo)
The funding could provide demonstrations of what’s possible, said Alex Adams, senior manager for maritime environmental programs at the Port of Seattle. “It really brings technology to the region and lets the people who use it see that it works,” he said. “And it will hopefully spur the ongoing use of this type of equipment and provide confidence in it.”
Port leaders say there’s private sector pressure to clean up shipping. Corporate retail giants including Amazon and Walmart have deadlines for getting to net-zero carbon emissions within their operations. Amazon is a co-founder of two efforts to decarbonize shipping: the Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance and Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels, and Walmart launched Project Gigaton to address its supply chain emissions.
The port’s grant application targets multiple efforts:
Outfitting shipping container terminals with shore power so vessels can plug in when at port. The ports have a 2030 target of providing power to their international shipping container terminals.
The last of Seattle’s three cruise ship terminals is getting shore power this summer, and the grant would bolster that effort by providing additional options at the terminals as plug-in needs vary by vessel.
Upgrading machinery used for handling and shifting cargo to electric and hydrogen power.
Creating incentives for drayage truck drivers to purchase zero-emissions vehicles. The ask includes funds for charging infrastructure.
Researching alternative fuels for maritime vessels and how to prepare for that transition.
Programs in workforce development and community outreach.
If the ports don’t get the federal grant dollars, the organizations will pursue funds elsewhere, including Washington’s state budget and the state’s Climate Commitment Act.
Port leaders said they’re already making progress on their climate and pollution targets.
“I’m feeling very optimistic,” said Jason Jordan, director of environmental and planning services for The Northwest Seaport Alliance. “I’m feeling like we’re moving the needle. I’m excited.”
