San Pedro Bay Ports Complex to receive up to $1.2 billion federal hydrogen grant
The U.S. Department of Energy will award a grant of up to $1.2 billion to a public-private partnership formed to lead California’s bid to create a hydrogen hub, according to Port of Long Beach's release.
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, which together comprise the nation’s largest seaport complex, are project partners in the effort to advance the use of hydrogen fuel in goods movement via ARCHES funding. ARCHES funding will go to projects statewide. The two San Pedro Bay ports will find out in the coming months how much funding they will receive from ARCHES. These funds, to be matched by the ports and their tenants, will involve deployment of hydrogen fuel cell cargo-handling equipment and mobile hydrogen fueling trucks or stations in the ports’ terminals. Subsequent phases will add additional cargo-handling equipment and support the statewide deployment of 5,000 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty trucks.
ARCHES – the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems – administered California’s grant application for a green hydrogen hub under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) program. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the H2Hubs program will be one of the largest investments in the history of the Department of Energy.
The Port of Long Beach recently issued a request for information to gauge interest in developing hydrogen infrastructure in the harbor. Numerous proposals were received, covering a variety of potential project types. The information will be used to determine the next steps for advancing hydrogen infrastructure in the port area.
Together, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles created the landmark Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) — a sweeping, innovative and comprehensive strategy to tackle every source of port-related air pollution.
Updated in 2017, the CAAP is a comprehensive strategy for accelerating progress toward a zero-emissions future while protecting and strengthening the ports’ competitive position in the global economy. Since 2005, port-related air pollution emissions at the Port of Long Beach have dropped 91% for diesel particulate matter, 63% for nitrogen oxides, and 97% for sulfur oxides. Targets for reducing greenhouse gases from port-related sources were introduced as part of the 2017 CAAP. The document calls for the ports to reduce GHGs 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The Clean Air Action Plan was originally approved in 2006.
The Port of Long Beach handles trade valued at $200 billion annually. In 2022, industry leaders named it “The Best West Coast Seaport in North America” for the fourth consecutive year. The Port had its second-busiest year ever in 2022, with 9.13 million twenty-foot equivalent units handled. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.2 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.
