PORTS
To limit emissions of air pollutants from ports, Terrascope 2025 focuses on developing infrastructure to aid sustainable trucks and ships, optimizing energy consumption in ports, and reducing congestion.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
What is the role of ports in transportation?
Ports across the world are critical in the long-distance supply chain. Since they connect ships and means of overland transport—namely trucks—ports facilitate worldwide trade. A disruption at a port can critically affect worldwide trade, leading to catastrophe. This is evident in the panic resulting from the early COVID-19 pandemic leading to port back-ups throughout the US.[1]Goodman, Peter S. “What the Shipping Crisis Looks Like at a U.S. Port,” October 10, 2021. www.nytimes.com/2021/10/11/business/supply-chain-crisis-savannah-port.html Ports process as much as 70-80% of global trade, amounting to over $14 trillion dollars of goods transported each year.[2]Brown, Courtenay. “Pandemic side effect: America’s backed up ports,” March 12, 2021. www.axios.com/ports-shipping-online-shopping-b9b71d64-46ca-4b9e-8413-674a83faccde.html In the United States more than 95% of its imports arrive by ship, and ports are required to process the cargo.[3]U.S. Maritime Administration. “America’s Ports and Intermodal Transportation System,” January 2009. www.glmri.org/downloads/Ports&IntermodalTransport.pdf Ultimately, ports are important in the long-distance transport of freight because they are greatly utilized as the connection between land and sea. If ports were to cease to function, then a majority of worldwide trade would be at a standstill.
What is the problem with ports?
Currently, ports experience significant amounts of congestion. 77% of the world’s largest ports have experienced significant delays in the past 18 months.[4]Shah, Jill R. “Global Port Trackers Show Where the Worst Ship Logjams Lurk,” October 12, 2021. … Continue reading They are also responsible for significant emissions that harm nearby communities. For example, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles produce over 100 tons of smog daily and their emissions increase the risk of cancer and premature death for tens of thousands of residents.[5]Canon, Gabrielle. “Ships backed up outside US ports pumping out pollutants as they idle,” October 15, 2021. … Continue reading[6]Trade, Health and Environment Impact Project. “Importing Harm:U.S. Ports’ Impacts on Health and Communities,” January 2012. … Continue reading The solutions introduced below aim to improve the rate at which goods are processed and the energy efficiency of ports while developing appropriate infrastructure, all the while decreasing emissions.
Solution Plan
Developing Infrastructure
Adapting port infrastructure to evolving needs of ships and trucks
Optimizing Energy Consumption
Implementing energy management systems and technologies to reduce emissions
Reducing Congestion
Improving coordination, timing, and organization of operations
Steps for Implementation
Infrastructure
Electric Truck Charging
In order to fulfill the vision of electrifying America’s trucks, ports become a necessary place to develop infrastructure.
Methanol Fuel Storage
Ports need to store methanol for methanol powered ships. This can be done safely if safety procedures are followed.
Port Improvement
Peak Shaving
Peak shaving refers to decreasing the maximum power demand sustained by ports by spacing out crane operations and implementing energy storage systems.
Solar Canopies on Reefers
Refrigerated containers, or reefers, account for a significant amount of energy usage; this can be mitigated by installing solar canopies over reefer storage yards.
Shore-to-Ship Power
Ships idling at ports emit a large amount of air pollution, which can be nearly eliminated by ships plugging into shoreside power rather than using their own auxiliary engines at berth.
Virtual Arrival
Virtual arrival, a strategy to slow ships so they arrive at ports just in time for servicing, decreases carbon emissions and congestion.
Implementation
Timeline
View the timeline of our port improvement goals and the rate at which they will be implemented from now until 2050.
Equity
Worker safety should be a priority as new infrastructure and systems are implemented.
Full Port Automation
Full port automation is a route that some ports have taken in order to increase efficiency of their operations. However, for the reasons of high upfront costs, workers’ rights, and still-improving technology, this is not the most feasible pathway for all ports at this time.
References
