US shoreside power grant

The Ventura County Transportation Commission awarded the Port of Hueneme the grant for its North Terminal Shore Power Project. The port has also recently received state and federal funding to help increase electrification efforts, track air quality progress and further reduce particulate matter.

“This funding is a big step forward in helping the port achieve our goal of zero emissions,” said Kristin Decas, Port of Hueneme chief executive and port director. “Last year our commissioners unanimously approved a resolution committing the port to a zero-emissions future, and the shoreside power project plays a significant part in that plan’s success.”

The port’s South Terminal has benefitted from all-electric shoreside power systems since 2014, contributing to the estimated 96% decrease in SOx and 77% decrease in diesel particulate matter reported since 2008.

This latest electrification project, built through the Port’s Project Labor Agreement, will allow ships to connect to shoreside power to effectively eliminate diesel emissions while at berth.

The Port of Hueneme ranks as one of the top six ports in the US for automobile trade. Passenger vehicles account for a quarter of all imports and exports at the port, last year totalling US$4.99 billion for imports, and US$228.07 million for exports.

A reported 23% of cars moving through the Port of Hueneme are electric vehicles, outperforming the national average of 4%.