Shipping line to use low-sulfur diesel at Seattle port
SEATTLE (AP) - Container ships operated by international carrier APL will burn low-sulfur diesel while moored here, the latest move to decrease air pollution from the big boats while they idle in West Coast ports.
The switch will eliminate about 30 tons of sulfur oxides and about 3.5 tons of particulate matter each year, John Bowe, president of APL Americas, said Friday.
Environmental, health and port officials praised the change, and said APL's plan - which the port called the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest - is an example of broader efforts to reduce air pollution at cargo terminals.
"It's a ripple effect," American Lung Association spokesman Paul Payton said. "The tide is definitely turning toward more maritime organizations changing to cleaner alternatives."
Large container ships such as APL's typically use diesel-burning auxiliary engines to run their electrical systems while in port.
Diesel engines, however, can emit particulate matter and sulfur oxides, along with precursors to ground-level ozone and smog, such as nitrogen oxides and other compounds.
Some studies have linked diesel fumes and other types of port-related pollution to cancer, respiratory illness and other medical problems.
Switching to low-sulfur diesel fuel while running auxiliary engines could cut sulfur oxides by 80 percent and particulate emissions by 75 percent while ships are in port, APL said.
"We can't continue to handle the increased volume of trade growth unless we can prove to the communities we serve that we can operate cleanly and efficiently," APL spokesman Mike Zampa said. "We've got to do this to be able to grow."
APL and another carrier, Maersk Line, unveiled similar initiatives last year in California, where low-sulfur diesel recently became a requirement for ships near shore.
Washington state does not have similar regulations, but efforts to clean up the air near ports are under way, Port of Seattle spokesman Mick Shultz said.
Some other terminals in the region have started using low-sulfur diesel or vegetable-based biodiesel in their cargo-handling equipment, Shultz said. Some cruise ships this year also will begin plugging into electric supplies from the shore while in Seattle.
The APL Coral, which arrived in Seattle Thursday night, is the first of APL container ship to power its auxiliary engines with low-sulfur diesel while in port here, Zampa said.
The five other APL ships that call in Seattle will make the switch when they next arrive here, he said.
"I'm sure there's other shipping lines that are working on this. It looks like APL just got the jump on everybody else," Seattle Port Commissioner Bob Edwards said.
Oakland-based APL also is investigating the use of shore-supplied electric power for its container ships, Zampa said.
The switch will eliminate about 30 tons of sulfur oxides and about 3.5 tons of particulate matter each year, John Bowe, president of APL Americas, said Friday.
Environmental, health and port officials praised the change, and said APL's plan - which the port called the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest - is an example of broader efforts to reduce air pollution at cargo terminals.
"It's a ripple effect," American Lung Association spokesman Paul Payton said. "The tide is definitely turning toward more maritime organizations changing to cleaner alternatives."
Large container ships such as APL's typically use diesel-burning auxiliary engines to run their electrical systems while in port.
Diesel engines, however, can emit particulate matter and sulfur oxides, along with precursors to ground-level ozone and smog, such as nitrogen oxides and other compounds.
Some studies have linked diesel fumes and other types of port-related pollution to cancer, respiratory illness and other medical problems.
Switching to low-sulfur diesel fuel while running auxiliary engines could cut sulfur oxides by 80 percent and particulate emissions by 75 percent while ships are in port, APL said.
"We can't continue to handle the increased volume of trade growth unless we can prove to the communities we serve that we can operate cleanly and efficiently," APL spokesman Mike Zampa said. "We've got to do this to be able to grow."
APL and another carrier, Maersk Line, unveiled similar initiatives last year in California, where low-sulfur diesel recently became a requirement for ships near shore.
Washington state does not have similar regulations, but efforts to clean up the air near ports are under way, Port of Seattle spokesman Mick Shultz said.
Some other terminals in the region have started using low-sulfur diesel or vegetable-based biodiesel in their cargo-handling equipment, Shultz said. Some cruise ships this year also will begin plugging into electric supplies from the shore while in Seattle.
The APL Coral, which arrived in Seattle Thursday night, is the first of APL container ship to power its auxiliary engines with low-sulfur diesel while in port here, Zampa said.
The five other APL ships that call in Seattle will make the switch when they next arrive here, he said.
"I'm sure there's other shipping lines that are working on this. It looks like APL just got the jump on everybody else," Seattle Port Commissioner Bob Edwards said.
Oakland-based APL also is investigating the use of shore-supplied electric power for its container ships, Zampa said.