The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has just completed a two-year study of the hybrid buses being operated by Long Beach Transit in southern California. Unlike most transit systems using hybrid buses, Long Beach has been using a system that combines a gasoline engine with a series hybrid system. The ISE ThunderVolt hybrid uses a Ford 6.8L V10 running at constant speed to turn a generator that provides juice to a pair of electric motors. Only the motors drive the wheels. Instead of batteries, Long Beach also chose to equip their hybrid buses with ultracapacitors. The Long Beach bus routes are comprised of mostly low speed operation with many stops per mile making the rapid energy absorption of ultra-caps desirable. NREL looked at the performance of the buses and found that the gas hybrids got 4.3 percent lower fuel efficiency than the conventional diesel buses in the fleet. When the lower energy content of gasoline is factored in, though, the gas hybrid came out 8.5 percent better. Overall efficiency was about a wash for the hybrids. In the study the hybrid buses got 3.35 mpg. The increased use of regenerative braking from the ultra-cap hybrids has cut brake system maintenance by 90 percent although other service intervals were somewhat higher. The city has 62 hybrid buses out of a fleet of 228 currently and has ordered 25 more.

[Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, via GreenCarCongress]

Port representatives from around the U.S. are currently attending the third Faster Freight - Cleaner Air (FFCA) conference which examines technologies and processes designed to reduce the environmental impact of all sectors of the goods movement industry (rail, trucking, marine, off-road equipment and air freight). Last November the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach adopted the "San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan" which has inspired many other ports worldwide to undertake similar activities in a bid to reduce their environmental impact. The pollution levels created by the goods movement industry are of particular concern and have come under increased scrutiny over the last few years.

The San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan is a comprehensive blueprint to reduce the health risks associated with air pollution from port-related ships, trucks, trains, terminal equipment and harbor craft. Key elements of the hundreds of millions of dollars plan are to cut particulate matter (PM) pollution by more than 50 percent within five years, reduce NOx emissions by more than 45 percent and reduce sulphur oxides (SOx) emissions as well. Within five years, "dirty" diesel trucks will be banned from the San Pedro Bay cargo terminals where only new "clean" diesel trucks and retrofitted vehicles will be allowed to operate. Another initiative is to equip all major container cargo and cruise ship terminals at the ports with shore-side electricity which will allow vessels at berth to shut down their diesel-powered auxiliary engines.

A highlight of the FFCA conference is a panel discussion covering green leases - leases which implement low-emission and environmentally-friendly processes and technologies into port operations. Among the speakers to attend are the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. The EPA is a sponsor of the event.

Analysis: If you think an old diesel truck is an air polluter, imagine what the same vintage diesel technology on a container carrier is doing! It's great to see this kind of proactive approach being taken by the goods movement industry. I'd like to see similar plans to reduce PM, NOx and SOx across every port - all totaled it would really add up.

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[Source: Faster Freight - Cleaner Air 2007 press release]

The busiest ports in the nation, Los Angeles and Long Beach, announced an aggressive air pollution control plan, which would make them the cleanest in the world. The $2-billion, five-year plan expects to reduce sooty diesel pollution from cargo ships, trains and trucks by more than 50%, which might result in some loss of business. The plan aims at reducing health risks to dockworkers and communities around the docks and loading facilities, and the region's congested freeways and railroads. The spokesman for the Port of Long Beach expects to lose some business to Mexico, but stated the port was no longer interested in companies which are not interested in cleaning up their pollution. The two ports hope to set the example for all the ports in the Pacific Rim. While 40% of all retail goods imported to the U.S. are shipped through the two ports, together they are also the single largest contributor to smog from diesel engines in the Los Angeles Basin. The plan calls for replacement of the aging short-haul diesel trucks, and will demand international cargo ships to run on low-sulfur fuel within 20 nautical miles of the harbor. Docks will be retrofitted with electrical power for unloading, instead of burning diesel fuel.

[Source: Los Angeles Times]