Green investment at Port of Charleston
The new truck replacement programme at Charleston aims to help lower air emissions around the port
The Port of Charleston has announced that it will be making a large green investment over the next ten years to become a more environmentally friendly post-Panamax harbour.
The port has revealed a $1.3 billion plan to enhance and expand the port’s terminal container with a new terminal at the navy base in North Charleston - boosting container capacity in the port by about 50%.
There will also be significant investment to improve existing equipment across the port with a focus on upgrading workboats and trucks around the port to be more environmentally friendly.
In fact, the port has a truck scrappage scheme launched in September which aims to encourage drivers to replace their pre ’94 trucks with newer trucks from 2004 onwards. This is done by offering a $5000 dollar incentive and scrap value to the drivers. Last month nine trucks were scrapped and the target is to replace 100 trucks in the first push.
The port expansion will allow more post-Panamax vessels to call, which in itself is greener. More modern vessels are more fuel efficient and transport more cargo per tonne mile – larger ships mean fewer visits and cheaper unit costs.
In fact, the port has been focusing on four environmental areas – air, people, land and water. Byron Miller, VP-Marketing, PR & Planning at S.C. Ports Authority, said: “We see the expansion as promoting multi dimensional environmental growth. We were the first port in the south Atlantic to set in place a port air emissions inventory, putting $4 million into affordable housing and job training, $7 million into conservation of historic sites and the surrounding environment and $1 million into recreating the oyster bed reefs”.
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