Ocean-Going Vessels
Click here to see the webcast of the Oceangoing Vessel Measures 5 and 6 meeting held Sept. 13 at the Port of Long Beach. Click here to see the presentation from the meeting. Ocean-going vessels are the largest source of emissions at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. In order to significantly reduce emissions from this source, the CAAP identified a suite of control strategies, targeted at reducing emissions from all modes of vessel operations: during transiting, maneuvering and while at berth.  Vessel Speed Reduction
Since 2001, the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles have participated in a very successful voluntary vessel speed reduction (VSR) program. Since 2005, the Port of Long Beach has further increased compliance with VSR by offering the Green Flag Program, which provides financial incentives to their vessel carriers that participate in the program. To comply with the VSR Program (CAAP Measure OGV1) vessels reduce their speed to 12 knots on arrivals and departures to the Ports. Vessel speeds in the speed reduction zone are monitored and recorded in order to track compliance and to quantify emission reductions. Speed reduction is an operational change that all vessels can make to reduce both NOx and PM emissions, and it doesn’t require any modifications to the vessel. It is strongly recommended that ships calling on the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles comply with the VSR program and slow to 12 knots within 40 nm of Point Fermin. For more information on the VSR program, click here. Shore Power Shore power (a.k.a cold-ironing or AMP) is a very effective strategy for controling auxiliary engine emissions while the vessel is at berth. Significant emission reductions can be achieved by replacing the use of the ship’s auxiliary engines with plugging in to shore power. For more information about shore power, click here.
Cleaner Fuels
Moving to the use of cleaner, distillate marine fuels for both auxiliary and main engines with low sulfur levels helps reduce sulfur oxide (SOx), particulate matter (PM), and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. In the Ports’ Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP), use of cleaner 0.2% sulfur distillate fuels in both main and auxiliary engines is recommended (CAAP Measures OGV3 & 4). The benefits from using these fuels are best when ships are near shore and therefore closer to populated areas. Switching to marine gas oil (MGO) with the lowest available sulfur is recommended within 40 nautical miles (nm) of Point Fermin. In order to encourage early use of this fuel, the ports have developed a Main Engine Fuel Incentive Program, which will cover the cost differential between dirty bunker fuel and cleaner-burning low sulfur MGO. Additional Emissions Improvements and New Technologies In order to maximize additional emissions reductions from vessels, we encourage vessel operators to utilize the above strategies and to implement the use of new technologies in existing vessels as well as new vessel builds.
For all emission reduction strategies used to reduce emissions from vessels, it is important to inform the Ports so that the emission reductions can be quantified. |
