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Air Quality Programs at the Seaport

The Port has a variety of its own programs and is a participant in several collaborative projects to reduce emissions from maritime sources.

Collaborative Programs: Diesel Emissions Reduction Project | Port of Seattle Princess Shore Power Project | Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory

Port of Seattle Programs: POS Commission adopted Resolution No. 3534, as Amended “Expressing Commitment to Maritime Air Quality” | Reduced Air Emissions Through Port Actions Relating to Freight | Reduced Air Emissions through other Port Actions | Biodiesel at Shilshole Bay Marina

Collaborative Programs

Diesel Emissions Reduction Project
The goal of this multi-faceted project is to improve air quality by voluntarily reducing exhaust emissions from diesel fueled equipment used by the Port and its Seaport tenants. These vehicles include cargo handling equipment, on-road trucks and heavy-duty equipment.

• The use of advanced pollution control technologies, such as diesel oxidation catalysts, and of ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) and biodiesel is increasing.
• Fleet selections are made in collaboration with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the equipment owners and/or operators.
• Container vessel owners are transitioning to larger, more efficient vessels with lower-emission engines. These higher-capacity vessels help reduce the needed number of trips in addition to cutting emissions.
• Increased terminal efficiencies have been and are being made to improve cargo flow, reduce trucking time, and therefore reduce emissions.
• Educational programs for equipment owners/operators of Port staff on strategies for reducing emissions.

Port of Seattle Princess Shore Power Project
Princess Cruises ships docked in Seattle now use electrical shore power rather engine power, significantly reducing diesel emissions.

• A shoreside power facility enables Princess cruise ships to turn off their engines and “plug in” while calling at Terminal 30 in Seattle.
• Eliminates 35 metric tons of turbine engine fuel per ship call; will result in a total reduction of 1,400 metric tons of fuel during the 2005 cruise season.
• Estimated seasonal reductions from this project are 7.7 tons of particulate matter (PM) and 203.5 tons sulfur oxides (SOx) emission reductions.
• 30% of Seattle cruise passengers are served by Princess vessels.

Juneau, Alaska is the only other cruise port in the world that offers shore power to cruise ships. The shore power project is a joint effort between Princess Cruise Lines, the Port of Seattle, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Seattle City Light.

Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory
This inventory collects baseline information on a number of air pollutants and their sources within the greater Puget Sound area and in the waters north to the border with Canada. It focuses primarily on diesel-powered maritime sources, such as ships, cargo-handling equipment, locomotives and trucks. Read the Overview here.

This is the first in a series of collaborative actions by the Puget Sound Maritime Air Forum, a regional voluntary collaboration of ports, maritime entities, air agencies and other parties with operational or regulatory responsibilities related to maritime industry air quality impacts. Led by the Port of Seattle, this effort supports voluntary emissions reductions from maritime-related activities.

Participants include:

• American Lung Association of Washington
• Northwest Clean Air Agency
• Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
• Pacific Merchant Shipping Association
• Port of Everett
• Port of Tacoma
• Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
• U.S. Coast Guard
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Washington Department of Ecology
• Washington State Ferries
• Western States Petroleum Association

Port of Seattle Programs

POS Commission adopted Resolution No. 3534, as Amended “Expressing Commitment to Maritime Air Quality” (14 KB PDF)
Adopted February 8, 2005, this Resolution sets a policy goal for the Port of Seattle to apply its best efforts to work with the broad maritime industry and regulatory community to help ensure that the Puget Sound region continues to meet local, state, and federal ambient air quality standards. The Resolution strongly encourages the governments of U.S. and Canada to seek the designation of a North American Sulfur Emissions Control Area (SECA) under Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL).

Reduced Air Emissions Through Port Actions Relating to Freight

• Redeveloped Seaport cargo terminals to increase efficiency, including improving nearby road networks
• Coordinated draw bridge openings with truckers so they can route accordingly to minimize idling
• Piloted computer tracking systems at our cargo terminals to quickly locate containers and thus reduce truck wait times
• Provided electric plug-ins instead of diesel units for refrigerated containers on the docks
• Purchased bigger cranes to load and unload more efficiently, so ships are at the dock for less time
• Converted all seaport cargo cranes from diesel to 100% electric.
• Partner in regional anti-idling effort

Reduced Air Emissions through other Port Actions

• Marine maintenance fleet has switched to ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel.
• Hybrid vehicle is used for mail runs (high vehicle miles traveled) between Port facilities.
• Port has an award-winning employee trip reduction program.
• Bike and pedestrian paths across and adjacent to terminals have been built.
• Port programs educate employees, tenants, and customers regarding things they can do to protect air quality.
• Port is an Airwatch Northwest Partner.

Biodiesel at Shilshole Bay Marina
A B20 blend (20% biodiesel, 80% diesel) is available at the Shilshole Bay Marina fuel dock.

This fuel is:

• Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel produced from domestic, renewable resources such as vegetable oils from plants.
• Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.

Shilshole Biodiesel Fact Sheet (100 KB PDF)

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