Port Electrification Handbook
The Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity created the Port Electrification Handbook to aid maritime ports in their clean energy transition
Decarbonizing port activities (e.g., vessels, port infrastructure, shore-side transportation) is necessary to achieve the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) goal of carbon neutrality in global shipping by 2050.
Port electrification can take many forms, such as electrifying cargo handling equipment or deploying a microgrid to power critical port infrastructure. To help evaluate the growing challenge of increased electrification and its impacts on the system, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed this Port Electrification Handbook with support from the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity’s Microgrids R&D [research and development] program.
The goals of the Port Electrification Handbook are the following:
Help port operators and planners evaluate different electrification technologies
Explain how these technologies could aid and impact ports and surrounding communities
Provide step-by-step considerations for port electrification.
In most cases, port infrastructure is traditionally powered by fossil fuels (e.g., diesel, natural gas, heavy fuel oil), and the term “electrification” generally refers to powering this infrastructure and equipment by electricity, instead. Electricity can be provided via a battery, hydrogen fuel cell, or through direct connection to an electrical source such as the utility grid or solar photovoltaic panels.
Port electrification can generate a variety of benefits for ports and near-port communities and help address climate change. Those who live and work near ports are impacted inequitably by diesel exhaust, particulate matter, and nitrous oxides that are linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer, and premature mortality. [1] Using clean electricity to power port operations reduces these harmful impacts of port activity and advances environmental justice.
PNNL hosted a webinar on August 7th for industry stakeholders to learn more about the newly released Port Electrification Handbook. Download the slides here.
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[1] Bailey, D., and G. Solomon. 2004. “Pollution Prevention at Ports: Clearing the Air.” Environmental Impact Assessment Review 24 (7–8): 749–774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2004.06.005