Streamlined Scheduling at LA and Long Beach Ports Leads to Significant Emissions Reduction

According to a recent report from Bloomberg, the pandemic saw a staggering number of giant container ships—up to 100—anchored off the Southern california coast, emitting harmful pollutants while waiting for their turn at the busy ports of los Angeles and Long Beach. Though,things took a turn for the better when officials introduced an innovative queuing system reminiscent of OpenTable,allowing vessels to reserve their docking spots in advance. This change not only eased traffic congestion but also led to significant reductions in carbon emissions.

Researchers have found that this new approach at America’s busiest port complex has resulted in up to a 24% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions per trip between East Asia and Southern california. Prior to this system’s implementation in 2021, most ports operated on an outdated first-come, first-served basis that encouraged ships to rush and then wait idly—a practice that was both inefficient and environmentally damaging. With the queuing system now tracking each ship’s journey from its last port of call, captains can afford to slow down without worrying about losing their place in line. This simple adjustment translates into lower fuel consumption and reduced emissions.

Rachel Rhodes, who spearheaded a peer-reviewed study published recently in Marine Pollution Bulletin, highlighted how this low-tech solution represents an easy win for reducing shipping industry emissions. Given that over 80% of global trade is transported by sea—and shipping accounts for around 3% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions—this initiative is especially impactful.

While many companies are exploring advanced technologies like onboard carbon capture or biofuels—which can be complicated and pricey—the queuing system stands out as an affordable option costing approximately $300,000 annually for Los Angeles’ program thru 2027.

Rhodes and her team analyzed data from over 125 million location records collected from more than a thousand container ships traveling between East Asia and Los Angeles from 2017 through early 2023. by examining various factors such as vessel size and engine type, they estimated CO2 output across roughly ten thousand trips before and after implementing the queuing strategy. Their findings revealed emission reductions of nearly 24% in 2022 alone.

interestingly enough, average ship speeds decreased substantially—from about 18.6 knots down to around 15.9 knots during peak times—and even improved slightly back up to about 17.6 knots by early last year; slower speeds not only help cut emissions but also reduce fatal encounters with marine life like whales.

Despite being voluntary participation rates have been notable; over ninety-five percent of shipping companies using these ports opted into the program according to Rhodes’ research team’s observations.

But what does this mean for other ports? The Port of Oakland adopted similar measures starting in late-2022 while Rotterdam has begun automatically assigning docking times based on proximity—a promising sign! Yet many global ports still cling tightly onto traditional methods which raises questions about how widely such systems will be embraced moving forward.

Valerie Thomas—a professor specializing in sustainable shipping solutions at Georgia tech—noted some challenges ahead: “The original motivation stemmed from pandemic-induced congestion,” she explained; without similar pressures elsewhere it might be tough getting others onboard with these changes as they may not see immediate benefits or else.”

Nevertheless implementing such programs can happen swiftly; LA officials reported it took just under four weeks—from concept design through launch—to get everything rolling using existing tracking tech already mandated on large vessels making it quite cost-effective compared with other alternatives available today!