San Pedro Bay Ports Chart Course Toward Cleaner Marine Fuels

LOS ANGELES — The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in October released a comprehensive report identifying promising clean marine fuels for oceangoing vessels and outlining steps to support their use at the nation’s busiest port complex.

Conducted as part of the ports’ joint Green Shipping Corridor efforts, the Clean Marine Fuel Feasibility Assessment examined which fuels are most likely to be adopted by the shipping industry calling at our ports, how much demand could develop locally and what infrastructure would be needed to support them.

The study found that liquefied natural gas or LNG and methanol are the two most viable clean marine fuels for the near and medium term. Both offer potential pathways to reduce emissions from oceangoing vessels, depending on how the fuels are produced and sourced. Approximately 4,000 vessels call each year at San Pedro Bay ports. Reducing emissions from these vessels – the largest source of emissions in the ports complex – is a key to accomplishing Clean Air Action Plan goals.

Among the study’s findings:

• Shipping lines are investing in a variety of fuel technologies, rather than moving toward a single alternative to conventional marine fuel.

• By 2030, annual demand at the two ports could reach approximately 65,000 to 115,000 metric tons of LNG and 64,000 to 250,000 metric tons of methanol, depending on market conditions and vessel deployment.

• Much of the storage and distribution infrastructure needed for early methanol fueling is already available or could be adapted, reducing the need for major initial investments.

• Fuel costs, shipping line commitments and regulatory requirements will help determine how quickly cleaner fuels become widely available.

The assessment recommends that the ports adopt a phased approach that includes incentivizing early methanol use, exploring pilot fueling projects, making use of existing storage facilities and working with regulatory agencies to establish clear safety and permitting requirements. For LNG, the study recommends focusing on existing ship-to-ship fueling methods to ensure safety and efficiency rather than constructing major new storage facilities at the ports.

The information contained in the assessment will help inform a joint ports Request for Proposal anticipated to be released by the end of the year that will solicit proposals to demonstrate alternative fuel bunkering capabilities in the San Pedro Bay.

The ports will also use the findings to help guide future planning and collaboration with shipping lines, fuel suppliers, terminal operators and government agencies as the maritime industry continues its transition toward lower-emission operations.