Nationwide port emissions screening for berthed vessels: Prioritizing U.S. port electrification to improve air quality for near-port communities

Shore power allows at-berth vessels to plug into the local electrical grid and turn off auxiliary engines that would otherwise burn fossil fuel to power essential operations and emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) and air pollutants. This technology can help the maritime industry transition away from diesel fuels and reduce GHGs and air pollutant emissions that harm the health of people in communities near ports and local ecosystems.

This study is the first nationwide port emissions screening for at-berth vessels. Using the ICCT’s Systematic Assessment of Vessel Emissions (SAVE) model and Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, the study estimates how much pollution is emitted by at-berth vessels and then identifies U.S. ports where investments in shore power could meaningfully improve air quality in nearby communities.

The study’s estimates show that in the absence of shore power, at-berth vessels emitted approximately 27,000 tonnes of combined air pollutants (NO_X, SO_X, and PM₁₀) and more than 1.4 million tonnes of CO₂ in 2019. Of the 129 ports considered in this analysis, 43 high-priority ports and port groups overlapped with lower-income census tracts and areas that do not meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency air quality standards.

Figure. Combined NO_X, SO_X, and PM₁₀ emission estimates from at-berth vessels in U.S. ports, 2019

The study assigns the 43 ports and port groups a priority level of 1 through 4 based on at-berth vessel air pollutant emissions estimates and the population near each port. Based on the results, there is potential at priority 1 (New York City port group and Los Angeles port group) and priority 2 (New Orleans, Seattle, Galveston port group, Houston, and Oakland port group) ports to reduce emissions from at-berth vessel activity by installing shore power compatible with the highest emitting ship types at the port. Many of the priority 1 and 2 ports have shore power currently installed or planned for these high-emitting ship types, which include tanker, container, cargo, cruise, and tug vessels.

Figure. Priority categorization of 43 ports of interest based on at-berth vessel air pollutant estimates and populations in census tracts with a median household income below the 2019 national median

U.S. ports can use available federal funding to install zero-emission port equipment, develop air quality monitoring plans, or conduct emission inventories for more tailored emission estimates than this nationwide screening provides. As more ports complete emission inventories and further data is available on emission sources, it may be easier to identify additional areas to decarbonize that could yield meaningful air quality improvements.

Attachments
[Data download] Nationwide port emissions screening for berthed vessels

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