The Port of Oakland’s largest marine terminal said it has cut diesel emissions from all 13 of its massive yard cranes by 95% after retrofitting them with hybrid electric engines. Terminal operator Stevedoring Services of America (SSA) estimates that the project will eliminate about 1,200 metric tons of GHG emissions annually from each crane.
SSA said that the clean air project would result in a 93% 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.
The hybrid retrofit is the first project of its type at SSA terminals. SSA replaced 1,000-horsepower diesel generators on its yard cranes with 142-horsepower diesel hybrids. The new power plants have small diesel engines used only to charge a crane’s pack of batteries. Each crane has a housing unit that contains the hybrid generator.
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. 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,
…said Richard Sinkoff, the Port of Oakland’s Director of Environmental Programs and Planning.
The hybrid engine technology installed on these large yard cranes will help improve air quality and protect the health of those in the communities surrounding the Port of Oakland,
…said Jack Broadbent, Executive Officer of The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District).
The Air District awarded SSA $5 million in grant funding as part of the Air District’s Community Health Protection Program (CHP – AB134) to replace 13 diesel powered rubber-tire gantry crane engines with Tier 4 Final hybrid engines in order to bring about immediate emissions reductions benefits.
The SSA Terminals project is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions.
Planning for the crane conversions began after the signing of the CHP Program contract with the Air District on 5 July 2018. The first crane was retrofitted in February of 2019 and the 13th crane was converted in July 2020.
