The APL Singapore is the first ship to cold-iron at the Port of Oakland. 2009 photo.
APL Singapore switched off its auxiliary diesel engines Friday morning after berthing at APL’s Global Gateway Central terminal. It was the official launch of an APL program to cold-iron five vessels this year on the trans-Pacific trade.
Under cold-ironing, ships at berth connect via large cables to the landside power grid for electricity. The vessels shut down auxiliary engines that have historically been used to power shipboard electrical systems.
With engines switched off, some 1,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides emissions, a leading component of smog, 165 pounds of sulfur oxides, and 30 pounds of particulate matter are eliminated during a 24-hour port call.