The California State Transportation Agency has announced yesterday a $383.35 million grant for the Port of Long Beach in order to complete a series of construction and clean-air technology projects, aimed at accelerating the transformation to zero-emissions operations, and enhancing the reliability and efficiency of cargo movements in the port.
It is stated that $225 million of the state’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program will fund a variety of zero-emissions cargo-moving equipment and supportive infrastructure projects across the Port of Long Beach, which is including “top handlers” and other manually operated cargo-handling equipment, as well as tugboats and locomotives.
The sum is the single largest grant the Port of Long Beach has ever received to support the zero-emissions goals of the 2017 Clean Air Action Plan Update or CAAP, as the Port of Long Beach has set a goal of zero-emissions terminal operations by 2030, and zero-emissions trucking by 2035.
Furthermore, $158.35 million of the state grant will go toward the planned Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility, which will shift more cargo from trucks to on-dock rail, where containers are taken to and from marine terminals by trains.
The $1.57 billion Pier B On-Dock Rail Support Facility will be built in phases, with construction scheduled to begin in 2024 and be completed in 2032.
Mario Cordero, CEO Port of Long Beach said that “This game-changing grant will make a tremendous difference in our efforts to bring more business and jobs to the harbor, enhance the efficiency of cargo movement and accelerate the Port’s ongoing transformation to zero-emission operations.”
