7c GreenGatewayOverview

The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma are the low carbon corridor for cargo moving between
Asia and the American Heartland and all the way to the East Coast. 








For ports of origin as far south as Singapore, carbon emissions for cargo moving
by ship to Puget Sound and by rail to a broad swath of the United States are lower than
on routes through the Panama Canal, Savannah, Norfolk, New York and California. 
The findings were released in May 2009 by Herbert Engineering, a ship design,
engineering, and transportation consulting firm commissioned by the Port of Seattle to
analyze carbon footprints of trade routes between Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai, 
and the U.S. distribution hubs of Chicago, Columbus and Memphis. 
Seattle and Tacoma are closer to Asia than any other U.S. port, resulting in
shorter ocean transit times and lower fuel consumption on the ocean leg of the journey.
But there's more to our strategy than geography. 

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How we got here 
The effort to measure carbon footprints along trade routes is the latest step taken
by the Puget Sound ports to quantify and reduce air emissions from maritime sources. 
The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma partnered on the first maritime air emissions
inventory for the Puget Sound region. Initiated in 2004, the Puget Sound Maritime Air
Emissions Inventory was the most comprehensive maritime inventory to date, and the
first to include greenhouse gas emissions. The study provided solid, scientific data on the
nature and extent of air emissions from maritime sources in the Puget Sound and Georgia
Basin Airshed. 
The Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy  a joint effort of the Port of Seattle, Port
of Tacoma and Port Metro Vancouver  used the data from the inventory as a starting
point for establishing emissions reductions benchmarks. The Clean Air Strategy
establishes specific goals and dates for reducing emissions from ships, cargo-handling
equipment and trucks that move cargo to and from the ports. 
The goal of all of these efforts is to make our gateway more efficient and
competitive, improve air quality, and reduce costs. 

Ahead of the curve 
The Puget Sound ports have been improving their environmental performance for
some time. The Puget Sound Maritime Air Emissions Inventory and Northwest Ports
Clean Air Strategy are groundbreaking efforts. They are unique not only because of the
kind of information they contain, but also because of the cooperative approach they
represent. The Ports have worked hand-in-hand with the transportation industry,
regulatory agencies, community organizations, labor and environmental advocates. That
cooperative approach has helped us move farther, faster without adding fees for port
users. 
As state and federal environmental agencies begin to implement policies to
regulate maritime air emissions, the Puget Sound ports are ahead of the curve. In fact, the
Port of Seattle has taken a leading role to ensure that such policies are based on sound
data, working with World Ports Climate Initiative members to develop guidelines all
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ports can use to measure the carbon footprint of their operations. The Port of Seattle
Carbon Footprint Study is the first to review the greenhouse gas emissions of specific
trade gateways. Part of our continued groundbreaking work, the carbon study will be an
important tool in our larger effort to measure our environmental performance and
enhance our competitive position. 
As concerns about climate change and air quality grow, consumers are
increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. Seattle and Tacoma's 
Green Gateway offers shippers and their customers the option of a trade lane that keeps
costs competitive while protecting the environment, and helps build and capture value in
emerging consumer demands.

Green actions to date 
Nearly 200 pieces of cargo handling equipment on Port of Seattle marine terminals 
have been retrofitted with emissions reducing devices and switched to biodiesel, lowsulfur
diesel, or a blend of the two. All cargo-handling equipment at the Port of Tacoma
runs on ultra-low-sulfur diesel or biodiesel. 
In 2005, Princess Cruises joined with the Port of Seattle, the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) and Seattle City Light to bring the
first shore power connection to the Pacific Northwest. Holland America Line followed in
2006 with a second connection. These shorepower connections reduce green house gas
emissions by 29 percent per vessel call. All cruise ships calling that do not connect to
shore power are required to use fuels with a sulfur content of 1.5 percent or less, reducing
particulate matter emissions. 
In January 2009, the Port of Seattle and PSCAA implemented the At-berth Clean
Fuels (ABC Fuels) program, which provides incentives for container ship operators to
use low sulfur fuel (0.5% or less) while the vessels are docked in Seattle. As of April 
2009, six carriers have signed up for the program (Maersk Line, CMA CGM, APL,
Matson Navigation, Hapag Lloyd and Norwegian Cruise Line) and several others are
considering participation. ABC Fuels is expected to reduce emissions of particulate
matter from participating ships by 60 percent and sulfur dioxide by 95 percent. More than

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half of the ships that call frequently at the Port of Tacoma voluntarily burn cleaner, lowsulfur
distillate fuels while docked in Tacoma. 
In April 2009, the Port of Seattle Commission approved a plan to reduce emissions
from trucks that serve the port. The Port of Seattle's plan calls for prohibiting the most
polluting trucks (1994 model-year and older) from entering port terminals beginning
January 1, 2011, in keeping with the 2010 standard of the Northwest Ports Clean Air
Strategy. Approximately 1200 trucks (more than 75% of the fleet calling regularly at the
Port of Seattle) meet that standard already. The program will include measures to scrap
the old trucks, compensate truck owners for their older trucks, and help them buy or lease
newer ones. 
About 86 percent of the trucks that call regularly at the Port of Tacoma already meet
the 2010 standard of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy. The truck program adopted
by the Port of Tacoma Commission in March 2009 sets forth strategies for addressing the
other 14 percent. Two trucking companies that serve Tacoma's substantial Alaska trade
recently added diesel-electric hybrid trucks  the first at a West Coast port - and 2009
trucks with the latest available diesel engine technology to their fleets. 
The approach of both ports through all of these steps has been to partner with
customers, tenants, community groups, environmental organizations and regulatory
agencies. The result has been effective solutions that keep the port competitive and do not
increase costs for shippers or carriers. 

The Study 
The Herbert study covers shipments from Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore to
Chicago, Columbus and Memphis by vessel and rail through the ports of Prince Rupert,
Seattle, Oakland, and Los Angeles/Long Beach. It also analyzes routes via the Panama
and Suez Canals through the ports of Houston, Savannah, Norfolk and New York. Ships
sized at 4,500, 6,500, 8,500, and 12,500 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) were
included in the study, as was the year 2014 expansion of the Panama Canal. 


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The Findings: 
The results show that Puget Sound is the Green Gateway to 180 million American
consumers. 
Puget Sound ports have a clear advantage in greenhouse gas emissions compared to
East Coast ports for intermodal shipments from Asia to the Midwest. 
While ocean transportation emits less carbon per container TEU (twenty-foot
equivalent unit) on a per-mile basis than rail, the ocean distance to West Coast ports is
short enough to offset the carbon impact of rail transportation from the West Coast to
inland destinations. 
Even in 2014, when the Panama Canal expansion is complete and larger ships begin to
transit the canal, West Coast ports will maintain their carbon emissions advantage. 

Example 
The chart below shows the carbon emissions analysis for shipments from
Shanghai to the U.S. through various North American ports to Chicago, Columbus and
Memphis. 

Origin: Shanghai*                     CO2 emissions (metric ton/TEU) 
Discharge Port            Ship Size       Chicago   Columbus  Memphis 
Seattle                     6,500 TEU         1.579       1.664      1.715 
Oakland                 6,500 TEU       1.686      1.772     1.694 
LA/LB               6,500 TEU       1.663     1.748     1.663 
Prince Rupert               6,500 TEU        1.598      1.680     1.725 
New York via Panama Canal    4,500 TEU       2.520      2.468     2.574 
Norfolk via Panama Canal      4,500 TEU        2.493      2.401     2.482 
Savannah via Panama Canal     4,500 TEU       2.469      2.556     2.369 
Houston via Panama Canal      4,500 TEU        2.470      2.510     2.323 

To view the full study, "Carbon Footprint Study for the Asia to North America 
Intermodal Trade," go to www.portseattle.org/seaport/cargo/GreenGateway.shtml.


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Prior to the release of this study, the Port of Seattle asked for independent reviews
from the following experts: 
Anne Goodchild, Assistant Professor of Transportation, University of Washington
College of Engineering; 
Greg Shelton; Managing Director of the Global Trade, Transportation and
Logistics Studies (GTTL) program, University of Washington; and 
Charlie Cunniff, Director, Seattle Climate Partnership, City of Seattle Office of
Sustainability & Environment. 
For more information on Herbert Engineering, go to: http://www.herbert.com.













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