The Long Beach and Los Angeles seaports are expected to receive funding from a massive U.S. Department of Energy grant that could advance hydrogen fuel goods movement projects in the San Pedro Bay, the Port of Long Beach announced Oct. 13.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s plans to award up to $1.2 billion to California’s Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), for which the seaports serve as project partners.
Both ports are expected to know in the coming months how much funding they’ll receive. Meanwhile, the Long Beach port said it is seeing heightened interest from those who want to develop hydrogen infrastructure projects.
“This investment will get us one step closer in providing a cleaner and healthier environment in our local communities and for the workers who move cargo,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bobby Olvera Jr. said.
“By applying this funding in the heart of the nation’s busiest port complex,” he added, “we’ll also accelerate the development of technology and infrastructure to support a national clean hydrogen network, which will dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.”
The ports and their tenants are expected to match the funding of these projects, which could encompass hydrogen fuel cell cargo-handling equipment and mobile hydrogen fueling trucks or stations at terminals.
“Hydrogen will have a critical role as we leverage multiple technology options to achieve zero emissions,” Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero stated. “This funding ARCHES has secured is an important opportunity to accelerate the zero-emissions revolution happening at the San Pedro Bay ports complex.”
