The Port of Long Beach said it is moving ahead with a $16.8 million project to build infrastructure to support electric-powered, zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment at its largest terminal.
The Port Advanced Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) project will design and build charging outlets for almost 40 pieces of electrical terminal equipment at Total Terminal International’s container terminal at Pier T. Four battery-electric yard tractors will be modified to connect to a DC fast-charging system. If the system is proven viable, it could eliminate the need for on-board equipment chargers and potentially increase battery capacity of electric vehicles.
The port said the project will demonstrate the world’s first heavy-duty, off-road, direct current fast-charging system in a seaport environment.
PAVE is funded in part by an $8 million California Energy Commission grant.
Other objectives of the project include learning about the electrical grid impacts associated with widespread deployment of electric vehicles and equipment and developing a portwide tool to predict how much energy and supporting infrastructure seaports will need to support zero-emissions terminal equipment.
“When finished, this project will be a cost-effective, replicable model that the Port of Long Beach and others can use to speed progress to zero emissions,” said Harbor Commission President Lou Anne Bynum. “It’s part of a wide array of approaches we are using to reduce air pollution for our community and deliver on our promise as the Green Port.”
The demonstration is expected to begin early in 2021 and the project is scheduled to be completed by March 2022.