Port of Oakland’s largest marine terminal has cut diesel emissions from all 13 of its massive yard cranes by 95 percent after retrofitting them with hybrid electric engines.
Terminal operator Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) said that the project will eliminate about 1,200 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually from each crane.
“Retrofitting our rubber-tire gantry cranes to battery power produced remarkable results,” said Crane Manager Ken Larson, at SSA Marine’s Oakland International Container Terminal (OICT). “We’re impressed with the huge drop in emissions from equipment that we regularly use on the marine terminal.”
SSA said that the clean air project would result in a 93 percent reduction in diesel fuel. The older engines used 10 to 13 gallons of diesel fuel an hour whereas the hybrids use about three-quarters of a gallon an hour, according to Mr. Larson.
“We’re delighted with this project because it reflects the way the Port advances its emission reduction goals by focusing on feasible technologies that can perform the heavy work of moving containers,” said Richard Sinkoff, the Port of Oakland’s Director of Environmental Programs and Planning. “It fits ideally in the Port’s Seaport Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan. We hope it serves as a model for other marine terminals to follow.”