Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach join bid to become hydrogen fuel hub
An all-electric terminal tractor is on a trailer with a Nissan Leaf and a CNG flatbed truck at a community center in Long Beach. (Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG via TNS)
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The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California want to be part of a statewide clean hydrogen center through which they will receive more than half a billion dollars in federal funding to test the benefits of using fuel to power trucks and terminal equipment.
The proposal is the twin seaports’ latest effort as they continue to expand their capacity for zero-emission technologies.
The ports are part of California’s bid for hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in November 2021. This law, commonly known as the bipartisan infrastructure law, directed the US Department of Energy to provide $10 billion to develop four clean hydrogen centers across the country.
“We hope to be one of the four” – Gene Seroka, Managing Director Port of Los Angelessaid March 16th. “We’re pretty big players, (but) we have to be prepared to write our own checks.”
Each of the ports will have to provide 50 percent of the money they will receive if California wins one of the four grants.
Heather Tomley, Port of Long Beach the Managing Director for Planning and Environment also stressed the importance of participating in the state bid.
“The Port of Long Beach believes that hydrogen fuel cell technologies play an important role in our transition to zero-emissions operations,” Tomley said in an emailed statement.
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“To create a robust hydrogen ecosystem,” she added, “we need green hydrogen fuel that is available at a lower cost, an extensive network of gas stations and green hydrogen fuel suppliers, technically feasible, commercially available and cost-competitive fuel cell equipment, and a working force. development and training to support hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.”
The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have set targets for zero-emission terminal facilities by 2030 and a zero-emission truck fleet by 2035. technology has its limits.
Battery-powered vehicles are heavier than diesel vehicles, have shorter ranges and require expensive recharging infrastructure.
However, hydrogen technology has some advantages, according to a presentation given by Mike Galvin, POLA’s director of commercial and coastal real estate, to the Los Angeles Port Authority on March 16. 400 miles for trucks and heavy material handling equipment; offering a similar driver experience compared to a diesel engine across all types of equipment when it comes to refueling times and range; and vehicle weight is comparable to current options.
The Port of Los Angeles has been working “for many months trying to focus on our role in facilitating new zero-emission options”, Galvin said, describing POLA as “technology agnostic”.
The technology in this area is still evolving, he said, which creates some uncertainty and difficulty in determining what will make the most sense in different settings.
It appears that hydrogen may be optimal for long-haul transportation at ports, Seroca said, while electricity may be sufficient for shorter haul needs at the twin San Pedro Bay complex.
The LBCT container terminal at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California (Lauren Justice/Bloomberg News)
The hub projects are expected to showcase the entire hydrogen supply chain, including production, storage and distribution, as a path towards decarbonization in various sectors.
With specific terminals signing up to participate, the port portion of the California hub may include road trucks, gas stations, yard tractors, top-handling equipment, and tugs.
One of the goals, Galvin told committee members, is to help build “market confidence” in hydrogen technology.
Meanwhile, the targets for zero emissions in 2030 and 2035 are fast approaching, he said.
There is also a benchmark for greenhouse gas emissions — reductions of 40% and 80% from 1990 levels by 2030 and 2050, respectively.
The Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, a public-private consortium, will be the lead applicant for the state’s project to the Department of Energy. An offer from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will be included in this application.
The supply of ports is only a small part of the total supply across the state. But it will operate on a $600 million budget, requiring a 50 percent match from both ports. If awarded, hydrogen equipment will be deployed at the first stage, including yard equipment and a filling station. This will be expanded in phase 2, which may include the deployment of heavy vehicles.
State applications must be submitted by April 7th. A 12 to 18 month remuneration planning phase will follow.
On March 16, members of the Los Angeles Ports Commissioners expressed support for the plans, with Commissioner Ed Renwick calling them “fantastic”.
Overall, Seroka said, the path to zero emissions will be costly.
“Be ready,” he said. “We’re going to be writing some very large checks to get involved or we’ll be asked to do so.”
The evolving nature of competing technologies drives up costs and makes decisions difficult, Serok said.
“We have seven years to reach our goal of zero-emission cargo handling,” he added, “and I’m starting to get really worried.”
