Port Authority Hopes New Straddle Carrier Can Help Cut Emissions

What’s an “all-electric straddle carrier,” and what can it do for New York and New Jersey? That’s the question Port Authority officials are hoping to answer as they carry out the first test of the cutting-edge equipment “anywhere in a United States port.”

Last week, the Port Authority of NY and NJ announced the impending arrival of the high-tech terminal yard equipment, which is used to move cargo containers by “straddling” the container, then lifting it up and driving over the back of a truck to place the container on the chassis.

It’s a big difference from loading a container on the back of a truck from the side, Port Authority officials said.

What will this mean for operations at one of the East Coast’s busiest ports? Port Authority officials will get their answer soon. According to the agency:

“Under a partnership with the Port Authority, Maher Terminals has agreed to pilot test the all-electric straddle carrier for a year on its container terminal at the Elizabeth Port Authority Marine Terminal to determine its operational and environmental benefits.”

The one-year pilot test will explore the level of greenhouse gas emissions that can be reduced by the all-electric straddle carrier. By not emitting any tailpipe gases, the single, all-electric straddle carrier will reduce greenhouse gases from the equivalent of 52 fewer passenger vehicles, officials estimated.

“We are proud to take a leadership role in reducing harmful emissions at our facilities to significantly improve air quality throughout the region and particularly in our host communities,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said. “The electrification of cargo handling equipment is one of many projects that clearly demonstrate our commitment to the agency’s sustainability goals.”

Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said that the project signals the agency’s “strong, unwavering commitment” to reduce GHG emissions in compliance with Paris Climate Agreement standards.

“Last year, this agency became the first public transportation agency in the country to embrace the agreement, and we will continue to undertake initiatives that will reduce our own carbon footprint,” Cotton said.

At its October 25, 2018 meeting, the Port Authority’s Board of Commissioners unanimously embraced the Paris Climate Agreement. The resolution adopted by the board called for a 35 percent reduction by 2025 in greenhouse gas emissions generated by the Port Authority’s own operations. The board also reaffirmed the agency’s prior commitment to an 80-percent reduction by 2050, officials said.

Administrators added that to meet these targets, the port has other ongoing initiatives in addition to the straddle carrier project. Those include:

• The Terminal Tractor Hybrid Retrofit, a “collaboration with port tenants to install automatic engine start-stop systems to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by limiting the amount of time the engine spends idling.”
• The Clean Vessel Incentive Program, which “incentivizes ocean carriers to burn cleaner fuel and reduce speed to navigate at an optimal speed for fuel conservation.”

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Photo: Port Authority