In 2018, SCE was approved to spend US$3,038,000 on electrical and other infrastructure to support converting nine ZPMC RTGs at SSA Marine’s Pier J terminal in Long Beach to run on electrical power. A cable reel system from Cavotec was selected, with a containerised battery pack to enable moves between stacks, which meant the diesel engines could be removed altogether.

The infrastructure and crane work was expected to take 12 months to complete, but the project ran into lengthy delays getting permits and approvals, and in the civil works. The electrical infrastructure included a new substation (see image) to transform 12 kV power into 4 kV power for transmission to four distribution pads in two separate areas of the terminal.

In the blocks, the cable runs in a cable trench, which had to be cut into the yard surface and covered by a Cavotec Panzer Belt trench cover. Over 7,000ft of trenching was required along the RTG blocks.

It was identified that an autosteering system was needed on the RTGs to maintain the correct clearance between the reel and the trench. Initially, SSA tried an optical system using a laser following a line of tape, and then a painted line on the yard, but this was unsuccessful. SSA then designed an alternative using ‘proximity sensors’ and a 1-inch-wide steel bar on the ground. Altogether, it took 12 months from November 2019 to complete the work on the first crane and begin operations.

From an emissions reduction perspective, the project is a success as the RTG has gone from running a 1,000 HP diesel genset to electrical power. SCE noted that many of the infrastructure and procurement issues encountered could be avoided in future projects, and it expected that subsequent crane work could be completed in as little as six weeks per crane.

SSA Marine reported that the crane operators appreciated the benefits of removing noise and emissions from their working environment, and that performance with grid power “is better than with gensets, and speed has since been decreased”. It did not, however, have a good overall experience with the project.

“Despite the emissions [reduction] and costs-savings, SSA Marine indicated that they would not do another project like this unless zero-emission regulations require it,” the report said.

Its reasons include:

● The time taken to get approval, funding and permitting (well over two years).
● The loss of space to the substation and four distribution pads.
● The difficulty installing electrical infrastructure and testing the system in a busy terminal.
● The cost and difficulty of installing the cable trench and cover.

SSA Marine has installed a hybrid power system on 13 RTGs at its Oakland terminal, where Mi-Jack replaced the 1,000 HP diesel engines with much smaller 150 HP units and a battery system. “That project exceeded expectations, in part due to energy generation that is captured by the batteries as cargo containers are lowered,” the report said. It was completed relatively quickly, with no permitting required. The Port of Oakland and SSA are now considering a fuel cell to replace the battery pack.

SSA’s RTG retrofit project and the BYD electric terminal tractors at ITS (see page 1) highlight a significant issue with equipment electrification in California. Port authorities, electrical authorities, and other agencies with jurisdiction over electrical equipment have very specific requirements concerning standards and certification and may not accept other internationally recognised certifications.

For example, the BYD and Cavotec electric tractor chargers at ITS needed certification from a ‘Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory’ (NRTL), which neither company had obtained. Inspections to get the required certification found issues, such as enclosures not meeting National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 3R requirements, individual electrical components and cables not being NRTLlisted, and some electrical components not rated to meet the potential power levels.

The process of resolving the issues, ordering and installing replacement parts and then getting through the inspection process took eight months to complete.

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This complete item is approximately 690 words in length, and appeared in the November 2021 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 2. To access this issue download the PDF here