NEW ORLEANS — This month, the Port of New Orleans marked the replacement of the 101st truck through its Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program.
Since it launched the Clean TRIP program in 2016, the port said that 101 short-haul drayage vehicles have been replaced with those with cleaner burning engines, reducing fine particulate emissions from each truck by 96%.
The program offers a 50% ($35,000 maximum) cost incentive for the voluntary replacement of drayage trucks that service cargo terminals and warehouses within the entirety of Port NOLA’s three-parish jurisdiction (Jefferson, Orleans and St. Bernard).
Clean TRIP is made possible with funding by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. Port NOLA has received five competitive grants for providing truck replacement rebates supporting the local Port trucking industry.
“The ongoing success of the award-winning Clean TRIP initiative highlights the Port of New Orleans’ deep commitment to greening the supply chain,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port NOLA president and CEO and CEO of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad Commission. “As the shipping industry in general prioritizes sustainability, Port NOLA and our private partners are staying ahead of the curve by investing in greater sustainability at the second container terminal project in St. Bernard Parish, the Louisiana International Terminal.”
The port said that the Louisiana International Terminal in Violet, which is in the design and permitting phase, will incorporate the latest green technologies. That includes shore power, allowing vessels to plug in at the dock, eliminating the need to run diesel engines.
Like the Uptown facilities, the Louisiana International Terminal will also be equipped to provide container-on-barge services, which move containers by water rather than road to reduce air emissions. Port NOLA said its current container-on-barge service has reduced more than 11,000 short tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and saved 1 million gallons of diesel fuel. The container-on-barge service moves an average of 30,000 TEUs per year between New Orleans, Port Allen, Memphis and now St. Louis.
Port NOLA has been Green Marine Green Port Certified since 2015 and now four major port tenants are also Green Marine certified. Green Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program for the North American maritime industry.
Port NOLA’s subsidiary, the New Orleans Public Belt railroad is also focused on greening rail operations. NOPB has 10 EPA-classified Tier 1 locomotives in their fleet, which replaced older, dirtier locomotives in 2020. NOPB has also deployed 45 solar powered switches across its network.
The Port of New Orleans will continue to accept applications for truck replacements, while funding is available. Eligible applicants must fully own a drayage truck with three years of remaining life that currently operates and consistently services facilities within the Port of New Orleans jurisdiction. More information about Clean TRIP eligibility can be found at http://cleantrip-portno.com/eligibility.
