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The Ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver have released their first annual Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy Implementation Report, which documents the progress made by each port towards meeting 2010 performance measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships.

As a performance measure, the ports were set with the task of reaching the equivalent particulate matter (PM) reduction of using distillate fuels with a maximum sulfur content 0.5% for all auxiliary engine operations and the use of fuels with a maximum sulfur content of 1.5%, or engage in equivalent PM reduction measures for all main or diesel electric engine operations.

In 2008, the ports were said to have achieved a wide range of success in meeting the 2010 performance measure for ocean-going vessels (OGVs), with progress ranging from 7 percent to 57 percent.

Despite varying levels of progress experienced by each port, the voluntary use of lower-sulfur fuels by frequently-calling vessels at all three Ports was a common theme in the 2008 data.

The ports used varying data collection methodologies for ocean-going vessels in 2008. Port Metro Vancouver had its voluntary Differentiated Harbor Dues Program in place before the Strategy was finalized. The Program includes verification of emission reduction measures such as use of lower-sulfur fuel and was the source of Port Metro Vancouver’s data for the 2008 Implementation Report.

Both the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma relied on commitments made by frequently-calling shipping lines to use fuels with sulphur content of 0.5% or less as a means to collect their data, as fuel records for 2008 were not available. In 2009, both ports plan to conduct audits of bunker fuel receipts and use the accountings as their source for data in this sector.

Port Metro Vancouver

At Port Metro Vancouver, 7 percent of frequent ocean-going vessel calls made to the Burrard Inlet and Robert’s Bank areas of Port Metro Vancouver met or exceeded the 2010 performance measure. These areas of the Port had a total of 2,431 OGV calls in 2008, 4 1,132 of which were made by frequently-calling vessels.

Seattle

29 percemt of frequent ocean-going vessel calls (100 percemt of cruise and 7 percent of container vessels) at the Port of Seattle met or exceeded the 2010 performance measure for ocean-going vessels. The port had a total of 920 OGV calls in 2008, 755 of which were made by vessels deployed by shipping lines that call to the port five or more times per year.

- 100 percent of cruise vessel calls reached the 2010 OGV performance measure. Of the cruise vessel calls in 2008, 52 percent (108 out of 209) utilized shore power at the Terminal 30 Cruise Facility (Holland: 66 calls, Princess: 42 calls). The remaining 48 percent (101 of 209) of vessel calls utilized 1.5 percent sulfur fuel in diesel electric main engines while calling to the Port of Seattle to reach the 2010 performance measure.

- 7 percent (47 of 711) of container vessel calls reached the 2010 OGV performance measure by using 0.5% marine diesel fuel in auxiliary engines while at berth.

The Port of Seattle has several initiatives underway to continue progress toward the Strategy’s 2010 performance measure for OGVs.

On January 1, 2009, the Port of Seattle, in partnership with PSCAA, launched the At-Berth Clean Fuels Vessel Incentive Program (ABC Program). The ABC Program provides a $1,500 per call incentive for use of 0.5 percent (or less) sulphur fuels in auxiliary engines while at berth to lines that call the Port of Seattle five or more times per year. The program is expected to reduce hotelling emissions by 95 percent for sulphur dioxide and 60 percent for PM. As of May 20, 2009, the participating shipping lines include: APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Matson, Maersk, CMA-CGM, COSCO, and Norwegian Cruise Line. This group of shipping lines represents 29% of all vessel calls made to Port of Seattle in 2008.

Tacoma

57 percent of frequent ocean-going vessel calls at the Port of Tacoma met or exceeded the 2010 performance measure for ocean-going vessels by using distillate (0.5 percent sulphur) fuel for hotelling auxiliary engine operation. The port had a total of 1,365 OGV calls in 2008, 760 of which were frequently-calling vessels.

In 2009, Port of Tacoma has continued to work towards 100 percent use of distillate fuel for hotelling auxiliary engine operations by all OGVs. It will also work on educational outreach to shipping lines promoting the air quality benefits and recognition associated with switching to distillate fuel. The port will also investigate alternative measures to reduce hotelling emissions—such as minimizing vessels’ time at berth through terminal efficiency, or providing an alternative to hotelling auxiliary engine operation—such as shore power.

"As part of meeting the 2010 performance measure, the Ports will continue to work with the industry to ensure that all ships, where feasible, are operating with the highest emissions reduction potential and are moving toward the performance measure," the report said.