Porti & ambiente — le notizie raccolte

No recent searches No recent searches Data attribution 420 stations from392 contributors Boyle Heights warehouse fire, Los Angeles, California nearby 43 Good Main pollutant: O₃ 92µg/m³ 17° 8 km/h 86 % Data attribution 420 stations from392 contributors Los Angeles air quality index (AQI⁺) forecast Now 43 17° 8 km/h 86% 22:00 44 17° 6 km/h 88% 23:00 45 16° 5 km/h 90% Tue 00:00 46 16° 4 km/h 92% 01:00 47 16° 3 km/h 94% 02:00 48 16° 2 km/h 94% 03:00 50 16° 2 km/h 94% 04:00 51 15° 2 km/h 94% 05:00 50 15° 2 km/h 94% 06:00 51 15° 2 km/h 95% 07:00 51 15° 3 km/h 91% 08:00 54 16° 5 km/h 88% 09:00 55 17° 7 km/h 78% 10:00 55 19° 9 km/h 70% 11:00 59 20° 12 km/h 66% 12:00 59 20° 13 km/h 65% 13:00 59 21° 14 km/h 63% 14:00 55 21° 15 km/h 63% 15:00 55 20° 16 km/h 70% 16:00 55 19° 14 km/h 78% 17:00 55 20° 14 km/h 70% 18:00 55 19° 13 km/h 77% 19:00 55 18° 10 km/h 80% 20:00 56 17° 9 km/h 85% 21:00 56 17° 7 km/h 87% 22:00 56 16° 6 km/h 89% 23:00 57 16° 5 km/h 91% Wed 00:00 57 16° 4 km/h 93% 01:00 57 16° 2 km/h 94% 02:00 55 15° 2 km/h 94% 03:00 55 15° 3 km/h 95% 04:00 55 15° 3 km/h 96% 05:00 52 15° 2 km/h 96% 06:00 52 15° 1 km/h 96% 07:00 52 15° 2 km/h 90% 08:00 47 17° 3 km/h 86% 09:00 47 19° 5 km/h 72% 10:00 47 21° 7 km/h 63% 11:00 43 22° 11 km/h 59% 12:00 43 23° 13 km/h 56% 13:00 43 23° 14 km/h 55% 14:00 40 23° 16 km/h 57% 15:00 40 23° 17 km/h 60% 16:00 40 22° 16 km/h 58% 17:00 46 22° 15 km/h 60% 18:00 46 18° 22 km/h 77% 19:00 46 18° 20 km/h 77% 20:00 36 17° 19 km/h 82% 21:00 36 17° 15 km/h 82% 22:00 36 17° 11 km/h 82% 23:00 44 17° 11 km/h 82% Thu 00:00 44 17° 9 km/h 82% 01:00 44 16° 7 km/h 94% 02:00 41 17° 7 km/h 82% 03:00 41 17° 7 km/h 82% 04:00 41 17° 7 km/h 82% 05:00 38 17° 6 km/h 82% 06:00 38 17° 7 km/h 82% 07:00 38 18° 7 km/h 77% 08:00 33 18° 9 km/h 77% 09:00 33 19° 11 km/h 78% 10:00 33 19° 13 km/h 78% 11:00 43 20° 15 km/h 73% 12:00 43 20° 17 km/h 73% 13:00 43 20° 20 km/h 73% 14:00 52 20° 20 km/h 73% 15:00 52 20° 22 km/h 73% 16:00 52 20° 24 km/h 73% 17:00 51 19° 22 km/h 78% 18:00 51 18° 20 km/h 77% 19:00 51 17° 20 km/h 82% 20:00 52 17° 17 km/h 82% Los Angeles air quality index (AQI⁺) forecast 53 21° 15° 16 km/h 77% 51 23° 15° 22 km/h 71% 42 20° 17° 24 km/h 77% What is the current air quality in Los Angeles? PM2.5 concentration is currently1.4times the World Health Organization annual PM2.5 guideline value. Health recommendations Enjoy outdoor activities Open your windows to bring clean, fresh air indoors Sony Pictures Studio Sony Pictures Studio Sony Pictures Studio What is the pollen count in Los Angeles today? Index Low Tree Low Grass Low Weed Low Source: Health recommendations Enjoy outdoor activities Open your windows to bring clean, fresh air indoors What is the pollen count in Los Angeles today? Index Low Tree Low Grass Low Weed Low Source: Sony Pictures Studio Sony Pictures Studio Sony Pictures Studio IQAir AirVisual app Stay updated on the air quality of your favorite places IQAir Earth Real-time, 3D animated air pollution map Deploy your own station Get a monitor and contribute air quality data in your city. Get a monitor and contribute air quality data in your city. The current air quality in Los Angeles is considered good. Air pollution levels are low and there are no expected health risks, making it a good time to enjoy normal outdoor activities. Los Angeles air quality averages a US AQI or air quality index rating of “moderate.” Monthly averages in 2019 varied from AQI 32 (“good”) in February to AQI 64 (“moderate”) in November. Despite seemingly optimistic ratings, Los Angeles’s air pollution is among the worst in the United States, both for PM2.5 and ozone. PM2.5 is airborne particulate matter measuring up to 2.5 microns in size. It is widely regarded as one of the most harmful pollutants to human health for its prevalence at dangerous levels. Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to health effects such as heart disease, respiratory illness, and premature death. For PM2.5, the greater Los Angeles county contains 9 of the 15 most polluted cities in the United States, according tothe 2019 World Air Quality Report. In this same report, the city of Los Angeles ranked 82nd in the US (out of 1,517 included cities). Its annual average, however, differed by only 4 micrograms from the number one most polluted city in the U.S.: Portola, California. According to the 2019 State of the Air report, which compared data across 229 metropolitan areas, Los Angeles has the worst ozone air pollution in the United States. Ozone is a gas pollutant formed when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and organic substances. Vehicle exhaust contains both the nitrogen oxides and reactive organic substances needed to form ozone, so traffic is frequently identified as a leading source. Like PM2.5, ozone can cause health effects ranging from respiratory infections and inflammation to premature death. Together, PM2.5 and ozone form the smog that Los Angeles is often known for. The summer months of June, July, and August tend to be more polluted than other months for both PM2.5 and ozone. This is because of drier conditions, less rainfall, higher temperatures, and a higher frequency of wind-blown dust and wildfires fanned by the Santa Ana winds. Los Angeles does not currently meet the U.S. EPA’s national air quality standards for both PM2.5 and ozone.1The associated health implications are evident in the numbers. According to the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, 1 in 10 children have been diagnosed with asthma.2Overall risk for cancer, meanwhile, is increased by 900 for every million, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Air pollution data is an important resource for taking action to mitigate these health effects. Refer to the top of this page for Los Angeles’s forecast air quality data and real-time air quality data. Los Angeles air quality has dramatically improved over the last 30 years because of the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Most recently, year-over-year trends have resulted in reductions in L.A. air pollution of 10.6% from 2017 to 2018, and another 11.8% from 2018 to 2019. Data collected by EPA governmental monitors and analyzed in theCOVID-19 Air Quality Reportfound that Los Angeles experienced a long stretch of WHO-target air quality (< 10 μg/m3) from March 7-28, 2020, its longest streak since at least 1995. This 18-day stretch of exceptionally clean air is likely the result of lockdown measures put in place to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which non-essential businesses were ordered to close and residents were urged to stay at home. March 2020 became Los Angeles’s cleanest air quality month on record, averaging PM2.5 levels of 5.6 μg/m3(US AQI 23). Yearly averages are often dependent on the wildfire season, which can contribute to greatly elevated periods of city-wide air quality. The last three years have seen fewer state-wide forest fires and burned acreage, though wildfires are expected to increase in frequency over the long term as temperatures rise droughts become longer. Los Angeles is a city notorious for its smog, a combination of particle and ozone pollution. The prevalence of these pollutants result from many factors, including the burning of fossil fuels, especially by vehicles, ships, planes and manufacturing, as well as wildfires. The large population of 4 million in Los Angeles, with another 6 million in the surrounding Los Angeles county, contributes significantly to the its ‘nonattainment’ air quality status because of heavy vehicular emissions and traffic congestion. It is estimated that there are 6.5 million vehicles in the city of Los Angeles alone. Current mayor Eric Garcetti set forth a sustainability plan that seeks to increase zero-emission vehicles in the city, growing their share from 1.4% in 2018 to 25% by 2025, and 100% by 2050.3Power consumption, BBQs, and other such personal local emissions are also a major source of air pollution as a result of the city’s population. Los Angeles’s shipping industry is another key contributor, particularly in recent years as trade with Asia has expanded. The Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach are the two busiest container ports in the United States.4Many port operations rely on fossil fuel or diesel to power ships, trucks, and other transportation. Since the implementation of the Clean Air Action Plan of 2006, particulate matter (PM) from these operations has dropped by 87%, while nitrogen oxides, an important precursor pollutant to ozone, are down 58%. Still, the ports remain a significant pollution source, producing an estimated 100 tons of smog daily, with little year-over-year improvement since 2011. The Los Angeles air pollution map often reveals higher AQI in Los Angeles’s port areas. Port authorities are looking for new ways to further decrease these emissions, such as investing cleaner energy transport vehicles. Although they’re temporary and sporadic, wildfires often impact yearly average air pollution in Los Angeles. A combination of dry conditions, highly flammable fuels (such as the volatile Douglas fir and ponderosa pine tree species), increasingly hot summers, steep mountains, and strong Santa Ana winds combine to make the area highly susceptible to large and severe wildfires. The geography of Los Angeles, in a basin surrounded by mountains, is further conducive to trapping air pollution. While many locations around the world commonly experience temperature inversions in the winter, Los Angeles often experiences a similar effect in warmer months. This happens when relatively warm air from the Great Basin or inland Los Angeles traps cooler, ocean air close to the Earth’s surface, preventing polluted air from rising and dispersing. This type of temperature inversion is called a marine inversion. The Los Angeles marine inversion can often be attributed to the layer of haze shrouding downtown buildings in pictures from the famous Hollywood sign. While air pollution levels in Los Angeles still far exceed federal standards, significant improvements have been made in the last two decades. California began addressing air pollution in 1967 when it established the California Air Resources Board (CARB), an organization whose mission is to unite local governments, businesses, and residents with the goal of researching and legislating effective air pollution policy.5This board was later empowered by the legislative action of the federal government in 1970, that established the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act, along with the later 1977 and 1990 amendments, created federal air quality monitoring, emission control, and enforcement. The Clean Air Act has been deemed the most effective federal regulations for clean air, estimated to have prevented as many as 237,000 deaths from 1970 to 2020.6 Current efforts have been led primarily by local and state regulations, furthering an agenda to reduce emissions across the transportation sector along with a number of high-polluting industries. Among the most promising efforts is the shift towards electric vehicles (EVs). Currently, motor vehicles represent the leading source of city-wide PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide, an ozone precursor pollutant. Other improvements, such as increasing the percentage of the power grid that relies on renewable energy, will be a critical step. Long-standing trends of improving air quality in Los Angeles, coupled with promising new legislation and shifts in purchasing behavior, provide optimism for the future of air quality in Los Angeles. Changes in weather can impact local air quality. It is weather that often helps to explain a city’s air quality variations day to day when emissions remain relatively constant. Sunlight, wind speed and direction, temperature, and pressure conditions all shape current conditions. Examples of this include: In addition to weather, extreme pollution events such as wildfires can cause significant spikes in L.A. air quality. Such pollution events have become increasingly common in the area over the last few decades as a result of anthropogenic climate change. When smoke fills the L.A. Basin, the region's geography and weather conditions can make it difficult for the air pollution to disperse, resulting in slowly accumulating pollution levels until the emissions stop or weather changes. Use the IQAir website and app to follow changing AQI levels in Los Angeles. When air is forecast to be unhealthy, reduce your exposure by limiting strenuous outdoor activity, closing your doors and windows, and running an air purifier and wearing an air pollution mask if available. + Article Resources[1] California non-attainment/maintenance status for each county by year for all criteria pollutants. (2020).[2] Mazza S. (2018, August 7). Investigation finds LA Harbor-area smog challenges grow as new health threats emerge.[3] Roth S. (2019, May 6). Los Angeles sets dramatic new goals for electric cars.[4] Vock DC. (2019, June). Can America’s biggest ports go green?[5] California Air Resources Board. (2020). History. CARB.[6] United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2020). Benefits and costs of the Clean Air Act 1990-2020, the second prospective study.[7] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2020). Clearing the air on weather and air quality. Get exclusive articles, product updates, tips, and occasional offers delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Continuano ad aumentare le tariffe per le spedizioni via mare di container, sostenute dalla domanda in crescita sulle principali rotte di export dalla Cina, mentre permane l’incertezza sulla implementazione dell’accordo Usa-Iran e sulle sue implicazioni per lo shipping globale. In direzione del Mediterraneo, ha rilevato Drewry, i noli spot medi Shanghai – Genova per box da 40 piedi hanno guadagnato negli ultimi 7 giorni il 12%, portandosi a 5.756 dollari (cifra superiore del 41% a quella di un anno fa), mentre dal porto cinese verso Rotterdam l’aumento è stato del 15% a 4.342 dollari (il 37% in più rispetto a un anno fa). Gli analisti descrivono la situazione attuale come una “forte peak season” (valutazione condivisa da molti anche in Italia), generata dalle spedizioni anticipate in vista dei Baf (Bunker adjustment fuel) annunciati dai carrier per il prossimo 1 luglio, insieme a ulteriori Peak Season Surcharge. Sul corridoio Asia Europa saranno inoltre tagliate solo tre partenze navi per la prossima settimana. Complessivamente, Drewry ha spiegato di attendersi quindi ulteriori incrementi nei costi delle spedizioni nelle prossime settimane. Aumenti simili si sono riscontrati sul noli spot nella settimana appena trascorsa anche per le spedizioni sulla tratta transpacifica. In particolare quelli da Shanghai a New York hanno riscontrato un aumento del 15% a 6.769 dollari, mentre quelli verso Los Angeles sono balzati del +10% a 5.142 dollari. Valori che però in questo caso si discostano molto meno da quelli registrati un anno fa, risultando superiori rispettivamente solo del 3% e del 9%. Su questo corridoio, gli analisti hanno registrato per la prossima settimana l’introduzione di sei blank sailings, mentre parallelamente i carrier hanno annunciato l’applicazione di surcharge per gestire il forte afflusso di domanda atteso per via delle spedizioni anticipate da parte dei caricatori in vista dei prossimi aumenti dazi di luglio. Anche per questo corridoio Drewry stima quindi ulteriori incrementi dei noli nelle prossime settimane. Perfettamente stabili si sono rivelati invece negli ultimi sette giorni i noli transatlantici, con tariffe per spedizioni di container da 40 piedi pari a 2.507 dollari sulla tratta Rotterdam – New York e a 957 dollari su quella inversa. In media, a livello globale, per l’ultima settimana il Drewry Container Index ha rimandato un valore di 3.969 dollari, in aumento del 12% sulla precedente rilevazione e del 21% sul dato di un anno fa. Relativamente all’accordo tra Usa e Iran e ai suoi effetti, come detto al momento permane l’incertezza, nonostante il ‘sentiment’ nei mercati del trasporto via marea sia migliorato. L’allentamento delle tensioni dovrebbe stabilizzare l’andamento dei prezzi di petrolio e bunker, generando quindi in ultima battuta una minor pressione sui prezzi del carburante marino. I noli però resteranno sotto la pressione della forte domanda, così come delle implementazioni di aumenti e surcharge da parte dei carrier. ISCRIVITI ALLA NEWSLETTER QUOTIDIANA GRATUITA DI SHIPPING ITALY SHIPPING ITALY E’ ANCHE SU WHATSAPP: BASTA CLICCARE QUI PER ISCRIVERSI AL CANALE ED ESSERE SEMPRE AGGIORNATI

APM Terminals Los Angeles at Pier 400 has signed a contract with Orange EV for 40 additional HUSK-e XP battery-electric terminal tractors, bringing the facility’s total electric terminal tractor count to 60 units and completing the electrification of its on-dock rail drayage fleet. The milestone makes Pier 400 the first container terminal at the Port of Los Angeles to achieve full electrification of this fleet segment. The procurement builds on results from an initial deployment of 20 Orange EV terminal tractors at Pier 400 beginning in April 2025. Over twelve months of operation, the existing fleet accumulated 42,000 zero-tailpipe-emission operating hours with an average uptime rate of 98.8% , displacing more than 40,700 diesel-equivalent gallons and avoiding an estimated 427 metric tonnes of CO2. Since 2017, Pier 400 has reduced emissions from its owned container handling equipment fleet by 82 percent for nitrogen oxides, 61% for diesel particulate matter, 56% for sulfur oxides and 59 percent for greenhouse gases, according to Port of Los Angeles emissions data. Jon Poelma, Managing Director of APM Terminals Los Angeles, described the expansion as grounded in a full year of real-world performance data, with operator feedback directly informing the procurement standard. Ahead of the new units entering service, a group of lead International Longshore and Warehouse Union mechanics will complete Level 2 electrical safety training, building on foundational training already completed by 21 Power Shop mechanics in 2025. An Orange EV unit has also been placed at the ILWU mechanic training centre as a hands-on training asset for the broader workforce. With 60 electric terminal tractors expected in operation by January 2027, Pier 400 will have converted approximately 60 percent of its 101-unit terminal tractor fleet to battery-electric power, the highest conversion rate among container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles. An additional grant application is currently in progress to fund 30 further electric units as part of APM Terminals’ commitment to full fleet conversion. The procurement forms part of APM Terminals’ USD 80 million sub-recipient contract under the EPA Clean Ports Program, awarded through the Port of Los Angeles, covering the replacement of 64 pieces of container handling equipment including top handlers, forklifts and cone carts. Funding is structured as 60 percent federal grant funding, 20% Port of Los Angeles contribution and 20% APM Terminals capital investment, with the terminal separately committing US$ 40 million of its own capital to accelerate the broader fleet electrification programme.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has set an ambitious goal of reducing the pollution that blankets port communities. The CARB At-Berth Regulation, which covers large, moored vessels (including petroleum tankers) requires terminal operators to deploy emissions capture-and-control (C&C) systems that capture and treat exhaust from docked ships or switch those ships to shore power. Port communities have lived with disproportionate air quality burdens for decades, and cleaning up at-berth vessel emissions is a meaningful step toward addressing that. The problem is that California has set a compliance deadline for a technology that does not yet exist in a form that can safely operate on petroleum tankers. When the compliance deadline arrives, CARB will face a choice it has not publicly acknowledged: enforce the regulation and risk constraining the fuel supply, or back down and undermine the regulation’s credibility. Neither outcome serves the port communities the rule was designed to protect. In this article, we review the terminal and port compliance plans submitted to CARB through April 2026 – including independent engineering feasibility studies commissioned by several Bay Area operators – and examine what they reveal about the state of compliance and the downstream implications for California’s fuel supply. The CARB At-Berth Regulation requires vessels to connect to an approved emissions control strategy while docked – either shore power or a barge-based C&C system. For container ships, this has been workable, but petroleum tankers present different challenges. Tankers are sourced opportunistically rather than on fixed routes, vary widely in stack height and mooring geometry, must be capable of getting underway within 30 minutes of an emergency (potentially incompatible with barge C&C systems whose spuds take 30 to 60 minutes to stow) and require any dockside equipment to be certified safe within classified hazardous zones. The 2020 regulation is also the first time petroleum tankers have ever faced at-berth emissions requirements in California. Container and cruise vessels had a 16-year head start under a 2007 regulation, an established international shore power standard (IEC/IEEE 80005-1), and requirements to meet the San Pedro Bay Clean Air Action Plan in Southern California. Southern California petroleum tanker terminals are late on the 2025 deadline but moving, because the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and Port of Long Beach (POLB) are purpose-built harbors with calm water and predictable currents. The Bay Area terminals are mostly located in the Carquinez Strait, a tidal river channel with strong, variable currents. The geotechnical conditions also differ: soft bay mud, underwater utilities, and dock structures not designed for spud barge[1]loads. A barge designed for LA harbor cannot reliably hold station in the Strait. In early 2026, Bay Area terminal operators filed updated compliance plans that collectively constitute a formal, engineering-backed declaration that no commercially available C&C technology can safely operate at their facilities. Valero Benicia stated flatly that “no commercially available system exists that has been demonstrated safe for interfacing with all tankers.” Phillips 66 Rodeo will contract with a vendor only after CARB certifies two or more vendors for Bay Area conditions – effectively putting the ball back in CARB’s court. Marathon’s Avon Wharf lists a target date of January 1, 2032. Kinder Morgan’s two Richmond terminals submitted plans with no vendor contract and no completion date. Chevron relies on “Innovative Concepts” – equivalent emissions reductions from other sources rather than any physical control system at the berth. The table below summarizes compliance status across all regulated California tanker terminals. Source:Stillwater analysis of CARB data. We note that Chevron El Segundo’s Off-Shore Wharf is out of scope for the At-Berth regulation. Even where barge C&C is eventually deployed, it narrows the acceptable vessel pool, caps throughput at barge availability, and adds vetting friction to spot-market terminals that already receive vessels they have never seen before. Stockton reported only 15 percent of vessels returned more than once between 2023 and 2025. In a supply disruption, the terminals least able to accept whatever vessel is available are precisely the ones the state will need most. California has a well-documented history of fuel supply disruptions where the ability to bring in emergency tanker deliveries quickly (from whatever vessel was closest) was central to managing the crisis. The At-Berth regulation would significantly complicate that response. When a terminal needs to accept an emergency import on short notice, its options are to burn through its annual Terminal Incident Event (TIE) allocation, apply to the remediation fund, or accept the noncompliant vessel and face enforcement action. No fuel supply emergency exemption currently exists. The regulation’s safety and emergency exception covers utility outages and severe weather, but it fails to account for the possibility of an unforeseen refinery outage (e.g., a refinery fire) that drives emergency product demand. In that case, the terminal would be physically operational, but the emergency would be in the fuel market, and the regulation has no mechanism to distinguish between those situations. Only two of the five historical Bay Area refineries are currently operating in petroleum service: Chevron Richmond and PBF Martinez. Two of the others have converted to renewable fuels / petroleum terminals, and the last has shut down with its future unclear.[2]What this means is that a single unplanned outage at either of the operating petroleum refineries would cut refining capacity in half – in a market where not one of the large terminals has an approved technology solution. The product import terminals at POLA and POLB are not insulated from this problem simply because their plans are marked “complete” by CARB. “Complete” means CARB found the plan adequate, not that the technology works or that every vessel that calls can be serviced. Shell Mormon Island, Vopak POLA, and Phillips 66 POLA all explicitly acknowledge that some vessel calls will be uncontrolled, relying on Innovative Concepts credit banking or TIEs to cover those gaps. In the end, CARB will probably not enforce its way into a fuel supply shortage.The agency has walked back implementation timelines before when economic and supply stakes got high enough. The political economy of penalizing a terminal for accepting an emergency gasoline delivery during a supply crunch is not one CARB wants to navigate publicly.But “CARB will probably blink” is not a fuel supply policy; it is an informal assumption that exists nowhere in writing, cannot be planned around, and could change with a new state administration or CARB executive officer. No matter how noble, good intentions do not conjure technology into existence, and the State must develop mechanisms to manage product supply emergencies under this regulation. The State needs answers to three problems that will not resolve themselves regardless of how CARB chooses to act when the deadline arrives: These are supply security questions dressed in regulatory clothes. They require answers that take both the environmental goals and the fuel supply implications seriously. Sources: Terminal and port plan submissions filed with the California Air Resources Board under CCR Title 17, Section 93130.14(a)(3), reviewed through April 2026. CARB At-Berth Regulation FAQs (TTD21-272, November 2021). Martinez Refining Company At-Berth Feasibility Risk Assessment (Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, April 14, 2023). CARB 2024 Shore Power Enforcement Data Portal. California Code of Regulations, Title 17, Sections 93130–93130.22; Title 2, Section 2340. Stillwater's Carbon Market Outlooks help fuels producers and investors cut through the noise, navigate carbon market uncertainty, and plan for the future. A spud barge is a flat-deck barge held in position by “spuds”- vertical steel legs (piles) lowered through wells in the hull down to the seabed, which anchor the barge against currents and tides. In at-berth applications, the emissions capture-and-control equipment is mounted on the barge, which is spudded down alongside the docked tanker. When refineries shut down, imported crude is swapped for imported products. Since product tankers are generally smaller sized, we expect increases in the number of vessel calls.

16 June 2026 Scaling up battery‑electric terminal tractors to advance cleaner, high‑performance operations at Pier 400. APM Terminals Los Angeles (Pier 400) and Orange EV today announced a contract for the procurement of 40 HUSK-e® XP battery-electric terminal tractors, expanding an existing fleet relationship to bring Pier 400’s total electric terminal tractor count to 60 units. The expansion completes the electrification of the terminal’s on-dock rail drayage fleet – the first container terminal in the Port of Los Angeles to reach that milestone. The procurement expands a relationship built on operational results, validating the decision to scale. Since deploying 20 Orange EV terminal tractors at Pier 400 beginning in April 2025, the manually operated fleet has delivered strong performance across a demanding container handling environment. The existing units have accumulated 42,000 hours of zero-tailpipe emission operating hours with an average uptime rate of 98.8%, displaced more than 40,700 diesel equivalent gallons, and avoided an estimated 427 metric tons of CO₂. Since 2017, Pier 400 has reduced emissions from its owned container handling equipment fleet by 82% for nitrogen oxides, 61% for diesel particulate matter, 56% for sulfur oxides, and 59% for greenhouse gases, according to the Port of Los Angeles Air Emissions Inventory. “This procurement is grounded in 12 months of real-world performance data,” said Jon Poelma, Managing Director of APM Terminals Los Angeles. “Our operators ran these trucks hard, and the results earned this expansion. Their performance feedback drove the standard we required, and our lead mechanics are trained and ready to keep this fleet running at the highest level.” Ahead of the new units entering service, a select group of lead International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) mechanics will complete a Level 2 electrical safety training course, building on the foundational training completed by 21 Power Shop mechanics in 2025. An Orange EV HUSK-e XP unit has also been placed at the ILWU mechanic training center, where it will serve as a hands-on training asset for the broader workforce. With 60 electric terminal tractors anticipated in operation by January 2027, Pier 400 will have converted approximately 60% of its 101-unit terminal tractor fleet to battery-electric – the highest conversion rate among container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles. The procurement advances APM Terminals’ commitment towards full terminal tractor fleet conversion, supported by an additional grant application currently in progress for 30 more electric units. The terminal currently operates 51 chargers – more than any other terminal in the San Pedro Bay harbor complex – with existing infrastructure supporting the initial deployment of the 40 new units. To support the expanded fleet, the terminal will procure an additional 20 dual-plug Level 3 fast-charging stations through a separate competitive request for proposal process, anticipated to be issued in Q2 2026. The HUSK-e XP units are manufactured at Orange EV’s production facility in Kansas City, Kansas, and are fully compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) requirements applicable to the EPA Clean Ports Program, with no waivers required. Each truck is purpose-built for heavy port and terminal operations, capable of moving up to 180,000 lbs. of combined weight. The vehicles employ a 310 kWh Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, the largest available battery pack in the Orange EV lineup. The contract reflects APM Terminals' procurement approach of evaluating total value over the life of the asset – encompassing spare parts availability, performance metrics, and service response standards – rather than unit cost alone. “In environments like APM Terminals, performance is measured in uptime, throughput, and reliability,” said Kurt Neutgens, Co-Founder, President, and CTO of Orange EV. “We’ve worked closely with the Pier 400 team even before the first units were deployed, and their operational feedback directly informed improvements to the HUSK-e XP. This expansion reflects both the strength of our partnership and a broader inflection point, where fleets are standardizing around Orange EV trucks to improve uptime and total cost of ownership.” The procurement is part of APM Terminals’ $80 million sub-recipient contract under the EPA Clean Ports Program, awarded through the Port of Los Angeles. The project scope encompasses the replacement of 64 pieces of container handling equipment – including top handlers, forklifts, and cone carts. Funding is structured as 60% federal EPA Clean Ports Program grant dollars, 20% Port of Los Angeles contribution, and 20% APM Terminals capital investment. As part of its broader fleet electrification program at Pier 400, the terminal has committed $40 million of its own capital to accelerate the transition from pilot projects to full-scale deployment. “The EPA Clean Ports Program was designed to deliver cleaner air to port communities, and APM Terminals is demonstrating how that investment is meant to work,” said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. “Sixty human-operated, electric terminal tractors operating at Pier 400 means fewer diesel exhaust emissions for the workers and the communities neighboring the port. This is the Clean Ports Program achieving its purpose – real equipment, in operation, making a measurable difference.”

The articulated arm on theSTAX 1emissions control barge collapsed in a June 2024 accident at the Port of Los Angeles, when the shoreside operator of a container crane did not verify the clearance between the lowered crane boom an obstructions, the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The articulated arm on theSTAX 1emissions control barge collapsed in a June 2024 accident at the Port of Los Angeles, when the shoreside operator of a container crane did not verify the clearance between the lowered crane boom an obstructions,the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The 160’STAX 1was capturing emissions from the 623’ containershipErvingaround 4:49 p.m. at the Fenix Marine Services Container Terminal. A ship-to-shore container crane struck the barge’s capture and control articulated arm, collapsing it and dropping sections onto the barge, theErving, and into the water pierside. The arm’s hydraulic system released about 10 gals. of hydraulic oil onto the deck of theErvingand into the water. One person on board theSTAX 1received minor injuries. Damages were estimated at $3.2 million. Originally built as a Navy tank barge in 1975, the STAX 1 was purchased in 2020 bySTAX EngineeringInc., Long Beach, Calif., and extensively modified, adding an exhaust capture system comprised of an articulated arm. The boom had a maximum elevated height of 279 feet, and two flexible exhaust ducts attached to capture emissions from vessel exhaust stacks. The Fenix Marine Services (FMS) Container Terminal had four 1,000’ berths with 16 Panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cantilever container gantry cranes, including eight Super Post-Panamax container cranes, along the berths. Earlier on the day of the accident the STAX 1 was handling emissions for 11 hours without incident, the NTSB report noted. About 10 minutes before the casualty, the first FMS Container crane operator attempted to raise STS crane 16’s boom in preparation for the end of his shift. However, the boom would not rise. “After the casualty, a technician determined the boom would not rise because the crane’s trolley cab was not returned to the ‘parked’ position,” NTSB investigators found. The secondcrane operator knew the boom was lowered and began moving the cranes along the track (gantrying relative to the docked Erving) using the waterside dock-level control station. “Because STS crane 16’s boom remained in the lowered position, it was unable to clear STAX 1’s emission capture boom, resulting in the crane striking the boom,” the report states. “The first-shift FMS terminal stevedore manager and operations manager were aware of theSTAX 1’splanned operations… However, the flex-shift waterfront personnel, which included the second-shift crane operator 2 and shift boss 2, were not aware of the STAX 1 operations,” the report says. “Shoreside waterfront operations personnel typically held a pre-shift planning meeting to discuss crane movements planned for the flex shift as well as other critical information, such as the location of theSTAX 1and its emission capture boom relative to the cranes,” the report says. But the planning meeting had not yet started and “had the crane operator waited for the pre-shift planning meeting and been aware of the STAX 1’s location, he may have opted not to move the crane.” In its conclusion the safety board faulted the crane operator for “moving a ship-to-shore container crane without verifying the crane’s lowered boom had ample clearance over any obstructions, and the container terminal’s inadequate guidance for gantrying cranes.” “To mitigate the risk of a casualty occurring, it is critical that crane operators be aware of such structures and maintain line of sight of obstructions visible from a crane cab,” investigators wrote. “The use of a dock signal person can help to identify ground obstructions during crane movement. Including such obstructions in safety briefings or outlines of planned crane movements can improve awareness among crane operations personnel." "Establishing and enforcing procedures regarding maintaining line of sight and using a dock signal person during crane operations can further mitigate the risk of a cranes triking a nearby object or structure.”

Hanno detto no all’installazione di nuovi data center usando lo strumento più democratico: il referendum popolare. I cittadini della città di Monterey Park, in California, non troppo distante da Los Angeles, hanno posto un divieto permanente e totale sulla costruzione di queste infrastrutture digitali all’interno dei confini comunali. E la votazione è stata molto ampia e sentita, visto che l’86% ha bocciato l’ipotesi di infrastrutture per nuovi data center. Monterey Park, ora, è la città-simbolo degli Stati Uniti, la prima ad opporre la forza ed il diritto del voto popolare contro gli interessi di aziende private. L’aspetto interessante di questa opposizione, è che in futuro, se altre aziende proveranno a fare altrettanto dovranno passare di nuovo per il referendum, perché solo i cittadini di Monterey Park potranno decidere se sciogliere il blocco. Una decisione che ha suscitato grande clamore in patria, tanto da guadagnarsi le pagine del New York Times. La mobilitazione dei residenti - riuniti sotto lo slogan "No Data Center in Monterey Park” - è nata a seguito della proposta da parte della società HMC StratCap di costruire un enorme impianto di circa 23.000 metri quadrati e da 50 megawatt vicino a un'area residenziale e a un parco pubblico. A quel punto, la comunità si è stretta intorno alla decisione comune di opporsi al grande consumo energetico. Come è noto, infatti, i data center sono strutture energivore perché funzionano H24 e hanno bisogno di raffreddamento costante giorno e notte. Secondo gli abitanti della cittadina californiana il mega impiantoavrebbe assorbito una quantità di elettricità tale da poter alimentare per ben due volte tutte le case della città, minacciando la stabilità della rete e rischiando di far aumentare le bollette. E ancora, molti timori erano legati anche all'inquinamento acustico dei generatori diesel di emergenza e dei sistemi di condizionamento, all'enorme consumo di acqua potabile per il raffreddamento dei server e alla creazione di isole di calore urbane. Un’opposizione talmente forte e tenace che ha portato ad una prima moratoria del consiglio comunale, costringendo l’azienda a rinunciare alla sua richiesta lo scorso aprile. Ma per bloccare ulteriori iniziative, gli organizzatori locali sono ricorsi al referendum, blindando la città da futuri progetti simili. (lapresse) Il quesito del referendum chiedeva di esprimere la propria opinione sul divieto di “data center in tutta la città al fine di proteggere la qualità dell'aria, le risorse idriche e la salute pubblica; prevenire impatti sulle tariffe di elettricità e acqua". Negli Stati Uniti, mentre le Big Tech accelerano la corsa, già frenetica, per la costruzione di data center necessari a sostenere i modelli di IA, le comunità locali si oppongono in modo crescente. I motivi sono due: da una parte subiscono il costo ambientale ed energetico di queste infrastrutture, che comportano molti investimenti iniziali, ma pochissimi posti di lavoro a lungo termine. Da qui la nascita di un sentimento sempre più comune a livello nazionale, noto come "not In My backyard”, come dire “non dietro casa mia” rivolto contro le infrastrutture per l'Intelligenza Artificiale e il cloud computing. Per Jose Sanchez, consigliere comunale di Monterey Park, il risultato del referendum “dimostra inequivocabilmente che i residenti non vogliono data center nella loro comunità. Ci auguriamo che altre comunità prendano spunto dall'esempio di Monterey Park per impedire che i data center invadano le loro zone". Ma ovviamente, c’è anche una parte della città che non approva il risultato del voto, e che sostiene questi investimenti; tra questi i sindacati dei lavoratori edili e alcuni think tank economici, convinti che l’opposizione al progresso tecnologico comporti la perdita di milioni di dollari in entrate fiscali e investimenti. Se il caso di Monterey Park è il primo caso in America di avversità al progresso digitale tramite referendum, esistono altre situazioni simili di ribellione ai data center. Ad esempio nello stato del Wisconsin, i cittadini di Port Washington hanno imposto alle autorità locali di passare dal loro voto, prima di offrire incentivi fiscali agli sviluppatori di data center. Invece ad agosto, i residenti di Augusta, nel Michigan, si esprimeranno in un referendum sulla riclassificazione urbanistica di un terreno per costruirvi un data center.

Search across reports, market insights, and blog stories. TheLos Angeles Board of Harbor Commissionershas approved a $3.4 billion annual budget for thePort of Los Angelesfor fiscal 2026-2027, according to a report from Yahoo Finance. The port, which together with the neighboringPort of Long Beachforms the busiest container gateway in the United States, is projecting a 7% decline incontainer volumesto 9.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units for the fiscal year. Port management attributed the cautious cargo outlook to ongoing volatility in global trade and uncertainty surrounding trade policy. The San Pedro Bay complex has been significantly affected by the current President of the United States' trade war with China. Tariffs and other measures have led importers to increasingly seek alternative maritime routes through Mexico and Canada. China has also pursued new trade agreements in Africa and expanded business with Europe as it works to sustain its position as the world's largest export economy. China's share of all containerized imports arriving through Los Angeles has dropped to approximately 40% in 2026, down from 53.4% in 2025 and 61% in 2020. The port is owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles through its Harbor Department. The approved budget includes increased investments in operational and community public-access infrastructure, as well as support for sustainability and technology programs. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass commented that the budget reflects the port's strength and forward-looking vision, noting enhancements to infrastructure and sustainability initiatives aimed at maintaining competitiveness. Bass, who has supported environmental investments to help the port meet water and air quality requirements and advocated for its economic role, thanked Executive Director Gene Seroka and Commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard for their leadership. The budget increase totals $665 million over the fiscal 2025-2026 budget, driven largely by a 31% expansion in capital improvements. It also includes higher subsidies for the Port's Clean Truck Fund Rate and cost-of-living increases for staff salary and benefits to account for outsideinflationary pressures. Projected operating revenues of $826 million represent a 26% year-over-year increase, with shipping services accounting for 65% of that figure. Operating expenses are projected to rise by 6% to $452 million. Capital improvement spending is set to reach a 10-year high, focusing on container terminal modernization and transportation improvements in and out of the port. Construction has started on a $74 million rail expansion at Berths 302-305 and a $130 million reconfiguration of the SR 47/Vincent Thomas Bridge interchange. Making Data-Driven Decisions to Grow Your Business A Quick Overview of Market Performance Understanding the Current State of The Market and its Prospects Finding New Products to Diversify Your Business Choosing the Best Countries to Establish Your Sustainable Supply Chain Choosing the Best Countries to Boost Your Export The Latest Trends and Insights into The Industry The Largest Import Supplying Countries The Largest Destinations for Exports The Largest Producers on The Market and Their Profiles The Largest Markets And Their Profiles Instant access. No credit card needed. Online access to 2M+ reports, dashboards, and tables. Trusted by Fortune 500 teams.

Los Angeles harbor commissioners approved moving forward with a proposed John S. Gibson Truck Staging Facility in a Thursday, June 11, hearing that brought out some lingering reservations in Wilmington but otherwise received general support. The commission later approved the related Port Master Plan Amendment, allowing the project to move to the California Coastal Commission for additional review. The proposed project, 1599 John S. Gibson Blvd., would create an 18.4-acre site for short-term truck and chassis parking serving the Port of Los Angeles. Equipment would be allowed to park for no longer than 24 hours and there would be no container stacking or other activity on the site that would be overseen at all times by two employees on-site. The proposed site is currently vacant, but would include a paved, striped and fenced area with about 393 stalls for parking trucks and shipping containers on chassis. Also part of the plan is a planted landscaped area. Howard Industrial Partners LLC plans to develop the property and then lease or sell it to an operator. Included would be retaining walls as high as about 30 feet to reduce existing slope areas. The project’s objectives include: • Increasing the efficiency of goods movement by providing off-terminal maritime support to help meet the demands of current and anticipated containerized cargo from the various San Pedro Bay port marine terminals. • Providing a facility that increases efficiency of terminal operations. • Alleviating truck traffic congestion and illegal parking. • Developing an underutilized property near the 110 Freeway to accommodate the growing need for goods movement facilities. Gina Martinez of the Wilmington Neighborhood Council, however, said concerns remain about the project in that community, which has been impacted by port truck and container traffic through the years. “Of all the things Wilmington needs,” she said, “it’s not another parking lot for trucks. It does not belong there.” The area, she said, is part of what has been viewed as a buffer zone between the community and port activity. “It’s not our responsibility,” she said, to “take on” port traffic, calling the project “unfair, unsound and not healthy.” The bottom line,” she said, “it’s not a good project.” But other neighborhood councils in San Pedro and Harbor City expressed support for the project, saying developers have worked with neighbors over the course of a few years to respond to resident concerns. “This applicant has been extremely responsive in taking our suggestions and incorporating them into their designs to have a positive effect on community,” said Noel Gould of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, adding that changes were made by developers that reflected community wishes. “We didn’t start out in a position of support, but we worked very closely with them to get to a place where we felt it was something that would really benefit the community.” Issues that were addressed, he said, included concerns about truck idling, traffic and impacts on roadways and the 110 Freeway. Wilmington, especially, has been hit with port-related truck traffic over the years. Supporters of the project argued that the new facility will provide a dedicated location for trucks already serving the Port of Los Angeles to stage, park short-term, exchange equipment, and coordinate cargo movements instead of waiting or backing up onto public streets. “This project is about organization,” said Mike Tunney, vice president of development at Howard Industrial Partners and a project representative. “For too long, truck activity has spilled onto streets throughout the Harbor Area. This facility helps move that activity into a controlled, professionally managed industrial location where it belongs.” The project, nine years in the planning, prompted community outreach efforts, he said. “We’ve heard it loud and clear from the start,” Tunney told commissioners, “that it was very important for us to do outreach” with the community. Among the project’s commitments are to use only local union workers. The developers have also joined the local chambers of commerce and pledged financial donations to local nonprofits. Elise Swanson, CEO and president of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, said that body supports the project, adding it will help “reduce truck parking and idling in residential neighborhoods.” Others said it will help reduce crime and homelessness in the immediate area. Port environmental consultants said the project’s impacts were analyzed through a state-mandated environmental process and the environmental impact report found no significant problems. The project’s air quality, traffic, health risk and circulation impacts were evaluated, and port staff said the proposed driveway and queuing design would avoid truck backups onto John S. Gibson Boulevard. Commissioner Lee Williams, who opposed to the project in its earlier draft form, commended the developers for working with community members in making changes. “I applaud the efforts that have been made to work with the community and mitigate some of the issues that were there,” he said. The project, he said, “looks very different from the original one proposed — thankfully.”

It's on us. Share your news here. Posted on June 10, 2026 The Port of Long Beach has created a Zero-Emission Truck Early Leaders Award to provide one-time payments totaling as much as $4.8 million for companies who were the first to use the vehicles to serve marine terminals. Port staff used truck activity data for the period between January 2024 and December 2025 to determine eligibility for the program, with up to 43 companies qualifying. Those averaging more than 50 trips up to 200 trips per zero-emission truck can receive up to $8,000 per truck; zero-emission trucks making an average of more than 200 trips can receive up to $10,000 per truck. Trucking companies will need to ensure their zero-emission trucks remain current in the Port Drayage Truck Registry and maintain their fleet average, consistent with their previous level of activity, from July to December 2026. If their fleet average is reduced, the Port will determine a prorated award consistent with the reduction in activity. “Zero-emissions trucks can cost more than twice the equivalent diesel model. They’re also essential to reach our goal of becoming the world’s first carbon-free port,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Dr. Noel Hacegaba. “This Zero-Emission Truck Early Leaders Award is our way of rewarding the early adopters for their commitment to our vision for tomorrow and for making significant and principled investments in the future.” “These early leaders are faced with regulatory uncertainty and the challenges coming with new technologies, such as limited infrastructure and fuel supply,” said Long Beach Harbor Commission President Frank Colonna. “This is a recognition from a thankful port of our trucking partners using zero-emission trucks despite those challenges.” The Long Beach Harbor Commission on Monday approved the award program, which will useClean Truck Fund raterevenue. Qualified trucking companies will receive an acknowledgement letter issued by the Port of Long Beach and provide activity information confirming compliance with the program’s rules. Payments will be made in early 2027, following verification of activity through the end of 2026. The Zero-Emission Truck Early Leaders program follows another recent announcement by the Port of Long Beach to award supply chain participants who help in the quest to reach zero emissions. Last month,the Port established an unprecedented $1 million awardfor the first oceangoing vessel to refuel at its harbor with methanol on a commercial scale in an effort to jumpstart the industry’s transition to cleaner, lower-carbon fuels like methanol. Source By Bayo Akomolafe The Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has advised the Federal Government to prioritise the rehabilitation and capacity expansion of Nigeria’s eastern ports in a bid to further stimulate economic activities in the axis and decongest the Lagos ports. The company’s Group Head, Corporate Communications, Olumuyiwa Akande said yesterday that the chairman…Read MoreShare this:Share on X (Opens in new window)XShare on Facebook (Opens in new window)FacebookShare on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn Port of Los Angeles continues to reaffirm its position as one of the world’s leading hubs in global supply chains. Containers of diverse goods arrive and depart daily, supporting the U.S. economy and trade ties with Asia, Europe, and other regions. In recent months, port activity has risen, reflecting growing demand and a return to…Read MoreShare this:Share on X (Opens in new window)XShare on Facebook (Opens in new window)FacebookShare on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn Port Everglades reaches new economic impact high with $48.3 billion supporting 300,000 jobs throughout Florida. Port Everglades CEO & Port Director Joseph Morris discussed how energy contributes to that 72% growth during the Port Everglades Association’s annual Economic Engine Performance Report luncheon with 700+ people in attendance. Also discussing Broward County’s economic health were Aviation…Read MoreShare this:Share on X (Opens in new window)XShare on Facebook (Opens in new window)FacebookShare on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn By Adis Ajdin The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) is raising additional transit surcharges for most vessel classes from July 15, increasing costs for tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and containerships using the strategic waterway. Under a series of newly issued navigation circulars, the Egyptian canal operator will increase temporary surcharges applied on top of standard transit…Read MoreShare this:Share on X (Opens in new window)XShare on Facebook (Opens in new window)FacebookShare on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn Safaga, Egypt/ Abu Dhabi, UAE – 09 June 2026: AD Ports Group (ADX: ‎ADPORTS), a leading global enabler of integrated trade, industry and logistics ‎solutions, today launched trial operations at Noatum Ports – Safaga Terminal in Egypt ‎ahead of the terminal’s full operational launch later this year.‎ His Excellency Lieutenant-General Eng. Kamel El Wazir, Minister…Read MoreShare this:Share on X (Opens in new window)XShare on Facebook (Opens in new window)FacebookShare on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)LinkedIn Δ

posted by AJOT | Jun 08 2026 at 12:36 PM |Ports & Terminals Later this month, the Port of Long Beach will host the first quarterly meeting to update the public regarding progress on the Cooperative Agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to develop zero-emissions infrastructure at the nation’s largest ports complex. During the virtual event, scheduled for 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, Port staff will provide an overview of the Cooperative Agreement and describe the progress to date on developing zero-emission infrastructure plans for trucks and cargo-handling equipment. Join the meeting at this link or call in at (669) 444-9171. The Cooperative Agreement, finalized in December 2025, is an enforceable contract that focuses on planning and implementation of zero-emissions port infrastructure. The final agreement prioritizes the development of zero-emissions infrastructure at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles – a critical step towards eliminating emissions from cargo handling equipment, harbor craft, trucks, trains and oceangoing vessels and achieving zero-emissions from port operations.

A new hybrid, 350-passenger vessel — El Escudo — made its debut recently at the Port of Los Angeles. Created in partnership with the L.A. Port, Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board and the Port of Long Beach, the harbor craft features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. It will be berthed at the Port of Los Angeles but will serve both ports (Los Angeles and Long Beach) in the San Pedro Bay. For nearly 20 years, Harbor Breeze Cruises has delivered whale watching and harbor cruises along the coastlines of Los Angeles and Orange counties. It also now operates out of West Harbor, San Pedro’s new, emerging waterfront development set to open in stages throughout the summer. “This new hybrid passenger vessel is just the beginning of our efforts to help reduce our operational emissions in the San Pedro Bay,” Harbor Breeze Cruises founder and owner Dan Salas said in a written comment, adding that the company is “committed to helping create a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable harbor for everyone.” The vessel, which is also envisioned to be used during L.A.’s 2028 Olympic Games, features a parallel hybrid propulsion system, enabling operation in fully electric (zero-emission), diesel, or hybrid modes. It exceeds U.S. EPA Tier 4 and CARB Commercial Harbor Craft emissions standards. As part of its operational plan, the vessel will operate at least 30% of the time in zero-emission mode, with some trips achieving 100% zero-emission operations, depending on route and runtime requirements. Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka called the vessel “a great example of what can be achieved when we work together toward and invest in a zero-emission future.” El Escudo has the capacity to operate for up to two hours on battery power alone with zero emissions, Seroka said. It is, he said, “proof that the future of clean transport isn’t just possible — it’s already happening.” Harbor Breeze Cruises offers scenic harbor tours, whale watching excursions, and special event cruises that showcase the natural beauty and vibrant maritime culture of the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex. The latest investment in clean energy, Los Angeles Councilmember Tim McOsker said, is another significant step forward. “Our harbor communities have for generations powered the economy of this region, and we deserve to see investments in clean infrastructure that will enable everyone to breathe cleaner air,” McOsker, whose 15th District includes the port, said in a written statement. “The launch of El Escudo is an important step forward, demonstrating how new technologies can help reduce emissions and improve air quality for neighborhoods surrounding the port. I am proud to see the Port of Los Angeles and Harbor Breeze Cruises leading the way in innovation and environmental stewardship.” Development and testing were conducted under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction Project, supported by a $31 million CARB grant and $30 million in project partner matching funds, to test and evaluate two different harbor craft emission-reduction technologies. The project is part of Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology, a program administered by the CARB and funded through California Climate Investments. The Harbor Breeze Cruises Zero-Emission Advanced Technology vessels and Catalina Channel Express high-speed ferry operating on renewable diesel with Tier 4 engines are projected to reduce more than 60 tons of emissions annually. “This project highlights how strategic partnerships can accelerate the adoption of cleaner maritime technologies,” Peter Christensen, air resources supervisor at CARB, said in a written statement. “Deploying vessels like El Escudo helps improve air quality and public health through reduced emissions, and advance solutions that can be replicated statewide.” Harbor Breeze Cruises invested $7.5 million in the vessel’s development and is advancing additional low- and zero-emission vessels. A second hybrid vessel under the LA MER project, with an additional $7.5 million in match share, and a third vessel, funded separately, are currently in development. As part of the grant, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach each committed to contributing $250,000 to support a technology evaluation study of harbor craft vessels and technologies. Both ports will also provide funding for at least 50 excursion trips each on the zero-emission capable vessels over the 12-month project demonstration period. In addition to the CARB grant, the Port of Los Angeles has committed $2.45 million and the Port of Long Beach $1.05 million through the joint Technology Advancement Program to support the development of harbor craft charging infrastructure and additional vessel technologies that were not available at the time of the original grant award.

A new hybrid passenger vessel, El Escudo, is now in operation at the Port of Los Angeles, marking a significant milestone in the decarbonisation of harbor craft operations in San Pedro Bay. The 350-passenger vessel, operated by Harbor Breeze Cruises, is the result of a partnership between Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, developed under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction Project. El Escudo features a parallel hybrid propulsion system enabling operation in fully electric zero-emission mode, diesel mode or a combination of both, and can operate for up to two hours on battery power alone. The vessel exceeds US EPA Tier 4 and CARB Commercial Harbor Craft emissions standards and is committed to operating at least 30% of the time in zero-emission mode, with some routes achieving 100% zero-emission operations. The LA MER Project was supported by a US$ 31 million CARB grant through its SHIFT incentive fund and US$ 30 million in partner matching funds. Harbor Breeze Cruises invested US$ 7.5 million in El Escudo’s development and is advancing two additional low and zero-emission vessels. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach each contributed US$ 250,000 to a technology evaluation study and committed to funding at least 50 excursion trips each on the zero-emission capable vessels during the twelve-month demonstration period. Both ports have also committed additional funding through their joint Technology Advancement Programme for harbor craft charging infrastructure, with Los Angeles contributing US$ 2.45 million and Long Beach US$ 1.05 million. The El Escudo and a companion Catalina Channel Express high-speed ferry operating on renewable diesel with Tier 4 engines are projected to reduce over 60 tonnes of emissions annually combined. Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles, described the vessel as proof that the future of clean transport is already a reality. Peter Christensen of CARB highlighted the project as a model for accelerating cleaner maritime technology adoption that can be replicated across California.

June 3, 2026 Source: Port of Los Angeles A new hybrid, 350-passenger vessel is now in operation at the Port of Los Angeles, the result of a Port-led partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the Port of Long Beach. The Harbor Breeze Cruises’ El Escudo harbor craft features some of the newest emission-reduction technologies on the market. The El Escudo will be berthed at the Port of Los Angeles and serve the San Pedro Bay ports. The vessel features a parallel hybrid propulsion system, enabling operation in fully electric (zero-emission), diesel, or hybrid modes. It exceeds U.S. EPA Tier 4 and CARB Commercial Harbor Craft emissions standards. As part of its operational plan, the vessel will operate at least 30% of the time in zero-emission mode, with some trips achieving 100% zero-emission operations, depending on route and runtime requirements. Development and testing were conducted under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) Project, supported by a $31 million CARB grant and $30 million in project partner matching funds, to test and evaluate two different harbor craft emission-reduction technologies. The Harbor Breeze Cruises Zero-Emission Advanced Technology (ZEAT) vessels and Catalina Channel Express high-speed ferry operating on renewable diesel with Tier 4 engines, are projected to reduce over 60 tons of emissions annually. CARB is funding the grant through its Sustainable Heavy-Duty Initiatives for Future Technology, or SHIFT, an incentive fund supported by California Climate Investments. Harbor Breeze Cruises invested $7.5 million in the vessel’s development and is advancing additional low- and zero-emission vessels. A second hybrid vessel under the LA MER project, with an additional $7.5 million in match share, and a third vessel, funded separately, are currently in development. As part of the grant, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach each committed to contributing $250,000 to support a technology evaluation study of harbor craft vessels and technologies. Additionally, both Ports will provide funding for at least 50 excursion trips each on the zero-emission capable vessels over the twelve-month project demonstration period. In addition to the CARB grant, the Port of Los Angeles has committed $2.45 million and the Port of Long Beach $1.05 million through the joint Technology Advancement Program to support the development of harbor craft charging infrastructure and additional vessel technologies that were not available at the time of the original grant award.

Bakersfield, California, has ranked as the metro area with the worst year-round particle pollution in the United States for seven years running. It is one entry on a list the American Lung Association rebuilds every year in its "State of the Air" report, and the 2026 edition (the 27th) draws on air-quality data covering 2022 through 2024. That report found that 152.3 million people, about 44% of the country, live in counties that earned a failing grade for ozone or particle pollution. The cities below carry the heaviest year-round particle pollution, the fine soot measured as PM2.5 that lingers in the air all year, according to that report. The causes run across farm dust, oil and gas work, diesel traffic, heavy industry, winter wood smoke, and wildfire smoke that now drifts across state and national borders. Bakersfieldsits at the southern end ofCalifornia'sSan Joaquin Valley, a bowl ringed by mountains that traps whatever the region puts into the air. That includes diesel exhaust from farm equipment and freight trucks, dust kicked up off cropland, and emissions from one of the most productive oil and gas fields in the country. Cool air settling into the valley in winter forms temperature inversions that cap the pollution close to the ground for days at a time. The metro has held the worst spot for year-round particle pollution for seven consecutive years. It posted its lowest year-round average on record in the 2026 report and improved enough on daily spikes to give up its long-held worst ranking for short-term particle pollution, which now belongs to Fairbanks, Alaska. The Brownsville metro, at the southern tip of Texas in the Rio Grande Valley, recorded the steepest worsening of any city on the year-round list. It moved from 16th worst in the previous report to second worst in 2026, its highest year-round particle reading the report has ever recorded for the area. The 2026 report noted that fine-particle levels rose across several southern states even as most of the country improved. The border region also carries pollution that crosses from the densely populated areas on the Mexican side, on top of local traffic, agriculture, and industrial activity. Eugeneranks third for year-round particle pollution and second for short-term spikes in the 2026 report. The city sits in the southern Willamette Valley ofOregon, where wood stoves used for winter heat and smoke from increasingly large summer wildfires both feed the air. Valley terrain and calm winter air hold that smoke in place, and the severe wildfire seasons of recent years have pushed Oregon cities up both particle-pollution lists. Fresnoranks fourth for year-round particle pollution. It is a hub for one of the most intensive agricultural regions in the country, and farm operations, freight idling and moving along State Route 99 and Interstate 5, and the same valley inversions that affect Bakersfield all contribute. Fresno recorded its lowest year-round average in the history of the report in 2026, though its grade is still failing. Visalia, also in the San Joaquin Valley between Fresno and Bakersfield, tied for fifth worst for year-round particle pollution. The mix is familiar for the valley: agricultural dust and diesel, residential wood burning in winter, and vehicle traffic, all held in by the surrounding terrain. Visalia recorded its best-ever year-round average in the 2026 report and one of the largest single-year drops in daily particle spikes, cutting more than 17 bad-air days, but it remains among the most polluted metros in the country. San Diegorecorded the single biggest jump on the 2026 year-round list, climbing from 59th worst to a tie for fifth. Cross-border pollution from the Tijuana area, emissions from one of the busiest port complexes on the West Coast, dense freeway traffic, and wildfire smoke all factor into the reading. The size of the jump shows how quickly a metro's standing can change when wildfire years and regional sources line up. TheSan Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland metro remains among the worst in the country for year-round particle pollution, though it recorded its lowest reading on record in the 2026 report for the second year in a row. Heavy commuter traffic, shipping and port activity around the bay, and wildfire smoke during late-summer and fall fire seasons are the main contributors. Los Angelesand Long Beach posted improvements in year-round particle pollution, reaching their lowest level on record for the second straight year, and the metro stays on the worst list. The Los Angeles Basin combines the nation's busiest port complex, enormous freeway traffic, and a geography that pins emissions against the mountains. The same metro remains the worst in the country for ozone, the smog that forms when sunlight reacts with traffic and industrial emissions, a distinction it has held in 26 of the report's 27 years. TheDetroitmetro ranks ninth for year-round particle pollution in 2026, an improvement from sixth in the previous report. Heavy industry, auto manufacturing, and dense highway traffic are long-standing sources, and the region was hit hard in 2023 when smoke from wildfires in Canada drifted south and settled over the Midwest. Wayne County, the metro's worst, averaged more than nine unhealthy fine-particle days a year over the period the report covers. Pittsburghand the surrounding river valleys reaching into Ohio and West Virginia stay on the worst list for year-round particle pollution, though the metro posted its best-ever reading in 2026. A legacy of steel and coke production, ongoing industrial activity, coal-fired power generation in the region, and river-valley terrain that traps cool air and pollution in winter all keep levels elevated. The "State of the Air" report grades three separate pollutants, and the metro that ranks worst depends on which one is measured. The 2026 report's leaders in each category were: California holds seven of the 26 metros on the 2026 worst list for year-round particle pollution, and Texas now holds six, the result of fine-particle levels rising across several southern states while much of the rest of the country improved. The pattern behind the rankings is consistent: valleys and basins that trap air, heavy concentrations of traffic and industry, agricultural and oil-and-gas work, winter wood burning, and wildfire smoke that increasingly crosses state and national lines. Nationwide, 76 million people live in counties that fail the year-round particle standard, 62 million in counties that fail for daily spikes, and 129 million where ozone reaches unhealthy levels. The report's authors tie much of the recent volatility, especially the wildfire smoke that reshuffled the 2023 and 2024 data, to a warmingclimate.

Harbor Breeze Cruises takes delivery of new parallel-hybrid-battery-propelled tour vessel that can operate with zero emissions during low-speed operation in the harbour California’s Harbor Breeze Cruises has taken delivery of a new 350-passenger, parallel hybrid-battery-propelled vessel capable of zero-emissions operation. Designed by Teknicraft Design and built by All American Marine, Bellingham, Washington,El Escudomeets strict US federal and state emissions regulations. Sailing from Long Beach and Los Angeles on harbour tours, whale-watch cruises, and special event dining experiences, the 33-m low-emissions vessel complies with US EPA Tier 4 and California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards. A Zero-Emission Advanced Technology (ZEAT) vessel,El Escudowill have the capability to operate a minimum of 30% of the time in zero-emission mode. Harbor Breeze Cruises owner and operator, Dan Salas, saidEl Escudo“sets a new standard for passenger vessels – not only in design and build quality, but also propulsion technology that truly moves the industry toward a cleaner future.” An optimised hull design, full integration of advanced exhaust aftertreatment systems, and a parallel hybrid propulsion architecture enable the vessel to achieve zero-emissions operation during low-speed harbour operations. It has a highly integrated propulsion system that combines selective catalytic reduction technology and diesel particulate filters, with a parallel hybrid battery propulsion system supplied by ABB. The propulsion system incorporates two 300-kW electric traction motors and a 588-kW Borg Warner energy storage system. For extended range operation, the vessel is equipped with two EPA Tier 4-compliant MAN D2862 diesel engines that drive fixed-pitch propellers through a remotely mounted Reintjes gearbox. The vessel’s parallel hybrid-battery propulsion offers four distinct operational modes: conventional diesel propulsion, fully electric zero-emissions propulsion, underway battery charging, and stationary shoreside battery charging. Funding support is provided through CARB’s Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects grant for the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) Project. Riviera’sMaritime Hybrid, Electric & Hydrogen Fuel Cells Conference & Exhibitionwill be held in Bergen, Norway, on 21-23 October 2026.Use this linkfor more information and to register for the event. Events © 2026 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.

Harbor Breeze Cruises, a tour operator based in Long Beach, California, has taken delivery of anew hybrid vesselthat will provide harbour tours, whale watch cruises, and dinner events in and around the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex. Designed by Nic de Waal of New Zealand-based naval architecture firm Teknicraft Design, the 108-foot (32.9-metre) monohull vesselEl Escudo[Spanish, literally "the shield", -ed] was built to exceed US EPA Tier IV and California Air Resources Board air quality requirements. The vessel boasts a hybrid battery propulsion system fitted with a selective catalytic reduction system and a diesel particulate filter. The system features twin 250kW traction motors and a 588kW BorgWarner energy storage system, allowing for low-emission harbour tours. The vessel features multiple passenger decks, a custom stadium-style seating platform on the bow, and a total capacity of up to 350 passengers, with enhancements throughout that prioritize comfort, visibility, and the overall guest experience. Studio Sculli provided the vessel's exterior and interior styling. El Escudois powered by twin MAN D2862 US EPA Tier IV diesel engines that drive fixed-pitch propellers through a remotely mounted Reintjes gearbox. The vessel offers four distinct operational modes: conventional diesel propulsion, fully electric propulsion, underway battery charging, and stationary shoreside battery charging. The propulsion package allows the vessel to achieve significant emissions reductions while maintaining performance and efficiency for longer routes.

May 28, 2026 All American Marine (AAM), in partnership with Harbor Breeze Cruises, announced the delivery of a new 108′ x 32.5′ Parallel hybrid passenger vessel, after successful completion of sea trials.El Escudowill now enter deployment in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. Purpose-built to serve harbor tours, whale watch cruises, and special event dining experiences throughout the LA/Long Beach area, the vessel represents a major advancement in low-emissions passenger vessel design. Naval architecture was provided by Nic de Waal of Teknicraft Design, which ensured the vessel exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 and California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions standards through optimized hull efficiency, full integration of advanced exhaust aftertreatment systems, and a design centered around a parallel hybrid propulsion architecture, enabling zero-emissions operation during low speed harbor operations. The vessel achieves its operational mission through a highly integrated propulsion system combining Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF) with a parallel hybrid battery propulsion system supplied by ABB Inc. The system features twin 300kW electric traction motors and a 588kW BorgWarner Energy Storage System (ESS), enabling zero-emissions operation during harbor tours and port operations. This project serves as a demonstration of the latest commercially available marine technologies and exceeds the most rigorous emissions standards currently in force in North America, including the most recent CARB harbor craft rules. Funding support is provided through CARB’s Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects grant for the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) Project, administered by the Port of Los Angeles (City of Los Angeles Harbor Department). The vessel establishes a new benchmark in maritime innovation as a first-of-its-kind, multi-purpose monohull operating as a USCG Subchapter K passenger vessel, certified for “Limited Coastwise” service and outfitted with advanced data collection and monitoring capabilities. Its customized design provides Harbor Breeze Cruises with exceptional operational flexibility while integrating advanced technology throughout the vessel. The vessel features multiple passenger decks, a custom stadium-style seating platform on the bow, and a total capacity of up to 350 passengers. All American Marine previously built and delivered two vessels for Harbor Breeze Cruises,TriumphantandLa Espada,and is continuing its long-standing partnership with the operator. Studio Sculli, the Italian design house, provided the distinctive exterior and interior styling for this next-generation vessel. The project team represents the leading edge of maritime innovation, combining expertise across design, construction, propulsion, and systems integration. The vessel is powered by twin MAN D2862 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 diesel engines supplied by Northern Lights, driving fixed-pitch propellers through a remotely mounted Reintjes gearbox provided by Karl Senner Inc. The vessel offers four distinct operational modes: conventional diesel propulsion, fully electric zero-emissions propulsion, underway battery charging, and stationary shoreside battery charging. This propulsion package allows the vessel to achieve substantial emissions reductions while maintaining performance and efficiency for longer routes.

All American Marine(AAM), Bellingham, Wash., has delivered a new 108'x32.5' hybrid passenger vessel toHarbor Breeze Cruises, Long Beach, Calif., following successful sea trials. TheEl Escudowill operate in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, serving harbor tours, whale watching cruises, and special event dining operations. Designed byTeknicraft Design, led by Nic de Waal, AAM said the vessel incorporates a parallel hybrid propulsion architecture that allows the vessel to operate in zero-emissions mode during low-speed harbor operations. AAM noted the aluminum monohull meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Tier 4 and California Air Resources Board emissions standards. The propulsion package combines selective catalytic reduction and diesel particulate filter systems with a hybrid battery propulsion system supplied byABB. The system includes twin 300-kW electric traction motors and a 588-kWBorgWarnerenergy storage system, enabling zero-emissions operation during harbor tours and port transits, AAM said in a statement. The vessel is powered by twinMAND2862 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines supplied byNorthern Lights. The engines drive fixed-pitch propellers through remotely mountedReintjesgearboxes supplied byKarl SennerInc. According to AAM, the vessel can operate in four propulsion modes: conventional diesel propulsion, fully electric propulsion, underway battery charging, and shoreside battery charging. Funding support for the project was provided through CARB’s Advanced Technology Demonstration and Pilot Projects grant under the Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction Project, administered by the Port of Los Angeles. According to AAM,El Escudois a first-of-its-kind multi-purpose monohull operating as a U.S. Coast Guard Subchapter K passenger vessel certified for limited coastwise service. The vessel is equipped with data collection and monitoring systems intended to support operational analysis and emissions tracking. The vessel has capacity for up to 350 passengers and features multiple passenger decks and a stadium-style bow seating area designed to improve visibility for sightseeing and whale watch operations. Exterior and interior styling were provided by Italian design firmStudio Sculli. Harbor Breeze Cruises previously worked with AAM on the construction of the passenger vesselsTriumphantandLa Espada. AAM president Ron Wille noted, “This propulsion package represents a first for a U.S. passenger vessel of this type and delivers both low and zero-emissions capabilities without sacrificing operational range or flexibility. We’re excited to support Harbor Breeze Cruises as the vessel enters full service.”