Galveston Wharves awarded $1 mln TCEQ grant for shore power pilot
The Galveston Wharves has been awarded a $1 million grant for a shore power pilot project in partnership with Texas A&M University at Galveston to reduce emissions from cargo shipping operations.
Funded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the pilot will include establishing an onshore electricity microgrid to provide a clean portable power source to a docked ship as an alternative to using the ship’s diesel-fueled auxiliary engines.
The project study team will evaluate the microgrid’s feasibility, environmental impacts and operational data such as energy consumption and power production efficiency. The pilot is expected to be implemented in 2024 and completed in 2025.
Green Marine is a voluntary environmental program for North America’s maritime industry. Certified since 2021, the Galveston Wharves joined Green Marine to help the port identify and implement best practices, manage environmental initiatives, measure progress, and strive for continuous improvement.
The grant was awarded through the TCEQ’s Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), which offers grants to people and businesses to reduce air emissions by upgrading to newer, cleaner technology and retiring outdated vehicles and equipment.
The Port of Galveston is the fourth most popular cruise homeport in the U.S. The port also leases and maintains a wide range of cargo facilities on the deep-water Galveston Ship Channel, which is ranked among the top 50 busiest U.S. cargo waterways.
