US grants $11.25 million to San Diego shore power project

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) granted $11.25 million to the ‘National City Marine Terminal Berth Rehabilitation & Electrification Project’ in San Diego, California, as a part of its 2023 Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grant awards.

PHOTO: San Diego Harbor, California. Getty Images

According to the US DoT, the project in San Diego will include infrastructural upgrades of two berths at the National City Marine Terminal (NCMT), and the installation of electrical infrastructure and equipment that will enable oceangoing vessels to connect to grid-based electricity while they are docked at the terminal berth.

The $11.25 million grant for the project in San Diego is a part of PIDP’s funding that exceeds $653 million in funding for 41 projects across the US states. This program "provides planning support, capital funding, and project management assistance to improve capacity and efficiency of ports in both urban and rural areas," the US DoT said.

Shore-to-ship power or “cold ironing” is an electrical power supply provided to ships when they are docked at ports. By connecting to the shore power, ships can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and particulate matter, as they no longer need to run their engines to power onboard essential equipments while docked. It also reduces overall noise levels in port areas caused by heavy machinery and generators.

“Modernizing the nation’s port infrastructure is vital to the reinforcement of America’s multimodal system for transporting goods. The advantages of cargo movement on water extend well beyond the maritime domain,” US maritime administrator Ann Phillips said.

By Aparupa Mazumder 

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