Technologies
Reducing people's exposure to diesel exhaust is a public health goal that affects engines operated at ports along with other sources of diesel emissions. Fortunately, there are many options for reducing diesel emissions from cargo handling equipment, tugboats, ferries, ships, trucks and rail yards. Below you will find information outlining technologies and strategies for reducing ports emissions, organized into six broad categories.
If you are interested in verified technologies for ports, see EPA Verified Retrofit Technologies.
Clean Fuel
Refueling refers to switching to cleaner diesel fuel through the use of advanced clean diesel fuels. EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) have programs that verify the emissions performance of advanced diesel fuels, and EPA verified products have undergone rigorous testing to confirm the fuel's emissions performance. Learn more about fuel registration.
Fuel | Pertinent Information | Application (CHE = cargo handling equipment) |
---|---|---|
Diesel Fuel | Pollutants Reduced: SO and ambient PM
|
construction, CHE, marine vessels, trucks |
Emulsified Diesel | Pollutants Reduced: NOx (9-20%) PM (16-58%)
|
verified by EPA and CARB for construction, CHE, marine vessels, trucks |
Biodiesel | Pollutants Reduced: PM, CO, HC - Can increase NOx 2-10% Renewable fuel (meeting ASTM spec 6751) that can be manufactured from vegetable oils or animal fats. |
verified by EPA for trucks |
Natural Gas Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) |
Pollutants Reduced: When paired with catalysts
or filters, CNG and LNG emissions are comparable to diesels
outfitted with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) described below.
|
CHE, marine vessels, rail, trucks |
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG or propane) | Pollutants Reduced: Can reduce NOx, CO
|
construction, CHE, rail, trucks |
Retrofit
- After treatment technologies, or "retrofitting," can be installed for existing equipment or vehicles to reduce particulate matter (PM),nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) or hydrocarbons (HC), in addition to other air pollutants.
- EPA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB) verify the emissions performance of retrofit devices through appropriate protocols and statistical analysis.
- Verified products have undergone rigorous testing to confirm the device's emissions performance.
- EPA and CARB coordinate their respective verification programs through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) (PDF) (3 pp, 200K, About PDF). Learn more about EPA verified products and idle reduction technologies.
- For a list of non-road verified technologies, visit the Nonroad Technologies List
Technology | Pollutants Reduced | Application (CHE = cargo handling equipment) |
---|---|---|
Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) | Pollutants Reduced: HC, CO, PM (85% or more reduction)
|
verified by EPA and CARB for construction, CHE, trucks |
Diesel Oxidation Catalysts (DOCs) | Pollutants Reduced: PM (10-50%), HC (50% or more) and CO
|
verified by EPA and CARB for construction, CHE, trucks |
Closed Crankcase Ventilation (CCV) | Pollutants Reduced: PM reductions of about 10%, depending on a number of factors. The emissions reductions will be increased if paired with a DOC.
|
verified by EPA and CARB for trucks with a DOC |
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) | Pollutants Reduced: PM (about a 25% reduction) and NOx (80% reduction)
|
verified by CARB for certain cargo handling and construction equipment. Used in some marine applications and locomotives. |
Lean NOx Catalyst (LNC) | Pollutants Reduced: NOx (5-40%) and PM
|
verified by CARB for trucks |
Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) | Pollutants Reduced: NOx (40-50%), PM if paired with a DPF
|
developed for construction, CHE, trucks |
Idle Reduction | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
locomotives, trucks |
Repair/Rebuild
Engines that are properly maintained and tuned perform better and typically emit less particulate matter and other pollutants. Rebuilding an engine can also significantly lower emissions in some cases and can be a cost effective option for high value equipment.
Unless engines are properly maintained, other measures to reduce emissions may be futile. A poorly maintained engine can not be cleaned up by technology alone. Properly maintained or recently rebuilt engines lower emissions by burning fuel more efficiently and can reduce operation costs through improved fuel economy and extended engine life.
Common maintenance issues include:
- restricted air filters
- improper engine timing
- clogged, worn or mismatched fuel injectors
- faulty fuel injection pumps
- defective or misadjusted puff limiters
- low air box pressure
- improperly adjusted valve lash or governors
- malfunctioning turbo chargers and aftercoolers
- maladjusted fuel racks
- defective air fuel controllers
- poor fuel quality
- improper driving gear and air intake manifold leaks
Repower
Repowering diesel technologies refers to replacing an older engine with a newer, cleaner engine or replacing a diesel engine with one that can use alternative fuels. In some cases, a repower can include substituting a cleaner highway engine for a nonroad engine.
Replace
Replacing an entire vehicle or machine may be the best option for equipment that is nearing the end of its useful life or was manufactured before stringent emissions standards were put in place.
Pollutants reduced are typically NOx, PM, HC, CO.
Replacing older diesel equipment with newer diesel equipment
Most cost effective when uncontrolled engines are replaced such as pre-1984 trucks or pre-1996 nonroad equipment. Typically there are benefits in fuel efficiency, reliability, warranty and maintenance costs.
Applicability: marine vessels, construction and CHE equipment, trucks and rail.
Replacing nonroad equipment with certified highway equipment built to stricter emissions standards
Highway equipment is cleaner than nonroad equipment in comparable model years. Therefore specifying highway engines in yard trucks and applicable landside equipment reduces emissions. Benefits include fuel savings and additional safety features.
Applicability: Cargo handling equipment such as yard tractors that have duty cycles similar to highway engines.
Replacing diesel equipment with electric, hybrid or alternative fuel equipment (LNG, CNG, propane).
Examples include hybrid switcher locomotives, electric cranes, LNG or LPG yard tractors, forklifts or loaders. Natural gas replacements may require fueling infrastructure.
Applicability: marine vessels, construction and CHE, trucks and rail.
Operational Strategies
Operational strategies reduce emissions by limiting the amount of time engines need to operate and creating systems to maximize efficient use of equipment. They include a variety of techniques that include improving port efficiency and reducing idling. Learn more about idle reduction technologies.
Strategy | Pertinent Information | Application (CHE = cargo handling equipment) |
---|---|---|
Truck Idle Reduction | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
Highway Trucks |
Shore-side Power (or cold ironing) | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
marine vessels |
Substituting Electric Power for Diesel Power: Electric Dredging and Electric Cranes | Pollutants Reduced: Local NOx, PM, HC, CO |
Diesel dredging equipment, diesel cranes |
Marine Vessel Speed Limits | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
marine vessels |
Container management | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
cargo handling equipment |
More efficient freight movement | Pollutants Reduced: NOx, PM, CO and HC
|
Highway trucks |