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The Jacksonville Port Authority has put forward a proposal to build a new cruise ship terminal this week which includes the installation of shoreside electric power for cruise vessels and prohibiting the use of 380-centistoke (cst).

Port officials have been in talks with local residents over plans to construct a Mayport cruise ship terminal at an estimated cost of $60 million.

As part of the negotiations, both parties have been discussing the idea of prohibiting vessels from burning 380-centistoke (cst) bunker fuel when they are at dockside.

Under the port's plan, vessels calling at the new terminal could be required to use a different fuel to operate auxiliary engines whilst passengers disembark and the ships take on supplies and pick up new passengers. Cruise ship stops at Jacksonville's current terminal usually last approximately eight hours.

Jacksonville could become the first port of the East Coast of the United States to require cruise ships to use cleaner power at the dock if it were to adopt a model similar to the one currently being used in California.

Earlier this year, The California Air Resources Board (ARB) adopted a regulation that requires ocean-going vessels within 24 nautical miles of California's coastline to use lower-sulphur marine distillates in their main and auxiliary engines and auxiliary boilers, rather than heavy fuel oil.

As a way of compensating ship operators for the additional cost of switching to cleaner-burning low sulphur marine fuel (0.2 percent sulphur or less) the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles launched the Vessel Main Engine Fuel Incentive Program in July 2008.

Vessels participating in the project will use low sulphur marine gasoil (MGO) in their main engines during their approach to or departure from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. The ports will provide funding to cover the cost differential between the cleaner burning low-sulfur fuel and the heavy bunker fuel typically used.

The new cruise terminal in Jacksonville would be designed to include shoreside electric power for ships, also referred to as 'cold ironing'. However, the port has not yet fully committed to wiring the terminal site to accommodate electrical service, which could cost between $4 million and $7 million. Modifying each ship for shore power would cost an additional $0.8 million to $1 million.

Following discussions between both parties, port officials and local residents will now try and reach an agreement over the next two weeks before the matter is evaluated by a City Council Committee.