Port of Virginia says it’s ahead on carbon neutrality goal

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The Port of Virginia stated it’s forward of schedule on its aim to be utterly carbon impartial by 2040.

In a information launch Tuesday, the port stated it could fulfill all its operational electrical energy wants from renewable sources by 2024.

“We’re taking this world-class operation and coupling it with a twenty-first century method to sustainability,” stated Stephen A. Edwards, CEO and government director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA). “This choice helps scale back our contribution to international local weather change, protects our ocean and marine sources and develop into a greater neighbor, six years forward of schedule.”

“Our dedication to changing into a totally carbon-neutral operation by 2040 aligns us with a number of the world’s main delivery strains, retailers, producers, suppliers and multinational firms. Additionally it is a strategic enterprise choice. Customers worldwide are demanding clear – inexperienced — provide chains and our work will put us on the forefront of this alteration.”

The port stated it’s at present sourcing a few of its electrical energy for cargo operations from renewable sources. It’s additionally getting it from an influence buy that expands entry to scrub vitality — that was permitted Might 9 by the Virginia Port Authority Board of Commissioners. By the settlement, the Virginia Division of Vitality can “allocate a further 10 % of the vitality from 345MW of photo voltaic initiatives being accomplished by Dominion Vitality together with the port’s proportionate share of the unique contract.”

That allocation plus different photo voltaic, nuclear and wind sources will assist the port’s want for electrical energy and assist it proceed to make use of renewable sources as its electrical energy load grows and port volumes enhance.

Diesel tools will progressively transition to cleaner applied sciences because the port grows busier.

“We’re forward of schedule on a few fronts. Nearly 5 years in the past, we started to affect our operation, audit carbon emissions, exchange getting older tools with greener machines and make higher use of know-how,” Edwards stated. “Because of this, greater than one-third of the tools we use on terminal in the present day is electrical and our use of know-how is driving effectivity. This can be a begin that we’re pleased with, however we all know we will do higher and this announcement is a crucial step ahead.”

Extra info on the port’s sustainability effort will be discovered by clicking right here.