The Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam informed that will invest $14 million from the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust (VW Trust) in order to replace all-diesel cargo handling equipment at the Port of Virginia with zero-emission all-electric equipment.
According to the Governor, an additional $20 million will be invested to fund the Clean Air Communities Program to electrify government fleets across the Commonwealth.
In light of the situation, Ralph Northam commented:
Combined with the Clean Economy Act passed by the General Assembly this year which set our state on a path to zero-carbon energy generation by 2045, the investments will demonstrate the importance of a long-term approach to solving our climate crisis. Transportation now represents nearly half of Virginia’s carbon emissions.
What is more, the Port of Virginia project will use $14 million in VW Trust funds, which are managed by the DEQ, and $10 million contributed by the Port of Virginia to deploy two all-electric ship-to-shore cranes at Norfolk International Terminals (NIT).
At the same time, the new cranes will support a terminal optimization at NIT moving from a predominantly diesel-powered operation to an electrified operation supported by electric and hybrid electric cargo handling equipment.
The funding will also support the initial deployment of all-electric yard tractors and charging infrastructure at the Richmond Marine Terminal (RMT) to evaluate this technology for future use at other terminals in Hampton Roads.
We are pleased to be part of the next steps in building Virginia’s clean energy economy. These investments will help the Port of Virginia continue our efforts to reduce emissions, be good stewards of the environment, and provide world-class service to our customers.
… John F. Reinhart, CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, concluded.
