Electrification of California Ports Technical Memorandum
This technical memorandum is provided to offer information related to select California ports’ current and future impact on the State’s energy grid. The study is limited to container and roll on/roll off (RoRo) marine terminals at the following California public ports: San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Hueneme, San Francisco, Oakland, and Richmond. The study does not address cruise, liquid and dry bulk, and break-bulk terminal electrification. The information provided within this technical memorandum is based on data collected from regional port partners, publicly available research, and Moffatt & Nichol (M&N) experience in the maritime sector.
Several challenges await California ports, terminals, and power suppliers in converting to all electric powered container and RoRo facilities, such as, but not limited to:
Forecasted Power Demand: The marine cargo terminals are currently not fully dependent on regional power grid capacity. The combination of increased cargo demand and conversion to zero emissions cargo handling equipment (CHE) will likely result in the need for additional CHE, increase in electrical power required for CHE, and greater capacity of regional power supply.
Equipment Mode of Operation: In the San Pedro Bay and Oakland port areas there are approximately 3,000 pieces of heavy-duty CHE; the majority still require conversion to be zero emissions capable. The most common container handling mode of operation in California uses the combination of rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTG), front end loaders (FEL – also known as a top pick), and yard tractors (UTR). CHE conversion status to electrically powered equipment is summarized as follows:
RTG is being tested via direct connection to the electrical grid.
Battery powered FEL is currently undergoing testing for use in container handling. Importantly, in the study regions, it is estimated that 75% of all container handling moves are performed by FEL equipment. Thus, the most widely (and cost efficient) utilized CHE is yet to be proven as a useable zero emissions CHE.
Battery powered yard tractors and charging equipment are being tested but not fully operational.
Terminal Hours of Operation: The terminal principal contract work shifts (8 am-5 pm & 6 pm-3 am) at West Coast port operations overlap with both summer (10 am-8 pm) and winter (7 am-11 am & 5 pm-9 pm) peak grid demand hours. Thus, conversion to electric and battery-powered CHE will increase the burden on the electrical power grid during the peak hours.
Truck Fleet: The port truck fleet discussed herein consists of a fleet of privately owned, over-theroad, diesel-fueled, Class 8 trucks that deliver to and from the container terminals. There are currently about 19,000 registered drayage trucks in the Los Angeles and Long Beach region, although these trucks are not dedicated to port drayage services and provide other Class 8 truck work in the region. Of the Class 8 trucks servicing the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, none are battery-powered, though there are several demonstration units in operation. Battery powered Class 8 trucks will require charging capability that is not currently available.