10 years of environmental engagement at Port NOLA
CommitmentThe Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) is a diverse port located along the Mississippi River. The deepwater port has unparalleled access to more than 30 major inland hubs via 14,500 miles (23,335 kilometres) of waterways, six Class I railroads, and interstate roadways transporting cargo across the continental United States, as well as into Canada and Mexico. Port NOLA welcomes this year’s GreenTech delegates to The Big Easy.
“Our cargo, rail service, industrial real estate and cruise businesses generate approximately $100 million in annual revenue for the State of Louisiana,” relates Stacey Schexnayder, Port NOLA’s director of Marketing, Communications and Community Engagement. “The port finances all of its operations on its own without state or federal appropriations.”
Port NOLA is marking its 10th year as a Green Marine certified participant.
Green Marine has been a guiding framework that helps us to identify the most effective sustainability initiatives. It’s really helped us to benchmark our starting points and subsequent progress.
The port has made the greatest strides in terms of the Environmental Leadership performance indicator. “The manager I had when our port first joined the program thought it would be next to impossible to get our port’s cargo terminal operators to join Green Marine,” Federer recalls. “Now more than 99% of our cargo is handled by certified terminals, specifically New Orleans Terminal LLC, Ports America – New Orleans, QSL America (New Orleans), and SSA Marine (New Orleans).”
A sustainable design for a new terminal
Ports America and Terminal Investment Ltd., which is New Orleans Terminal LLC’s parent company, and the Port of New Orleans are together investing $1.8 billion to build a new container terminal.
The port has secured almost $300 million in grants for the project slated for completion in 2028. The port has purchased 1,200 acres (almost 486 hectares) of additional land in anticipation of greater space requirements and has already dedicated 400 acres (almost 162 hectares) to the new container terminal.
“We’re working in tandem with the terminals on the design and looking at using the Envision sustainability framework and rating system devised to develop infrastructure in a more sustainable, resilient and equitable way,” Federer says.
We’re also planning to use locally dredged sand to even out the ground, so this material doesn’t have to be trucked to the site.
Shore power is a top priority for the new container terminal to be able to plug in vessel at berth. Electrification is also being prioritized to run various container-handling equipment with cleaner renewable energy.
Electrification has always been a priority with the port’s first electric crane purchased in 1990 and all the ship-to-shore cranes now operating on electrical power.
Our rubber-gantry cranes in our transloading intermodal yard are also fully electric. And we installed electric reefer racks in our container terminal in 2017.
Container-on-barge success
Port NOLA has been pivotal in advancing the sustainable advantages of waterborne transportation when it comes to barge services. “With a U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration grant in 2016, we helped to purchase equipment that the Port of Baton Rouge needed to become a part of a container on barge service with the Port of Memphis and Port NOLA,” Federer recalls.
Last year, the barge service was used to move approximately 20,000 TEUs which reduced highway travel by some 1.7 million miles (almost 2.8 million kilometres) and saved approximately 200,000 gallons (757,000 litres) of fuel. The calculations were done for port customers interested in obtaining carbon tax credits for using the more environmental and efficient barge service.
A recent project carried out with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant involved assessing the revitalization of a canal area that has fallen into disuse. “Our very first container yard was in this area first dredged and opened by the port in 1923, but oceangoing vessels could no longer access this stretch after the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet was closed,” Federer explains. “So we are re-evaluating the best ways to return these properties to productive commerce that could add value to the port’s services.”
Cleaner air has resulted from the replacement of 105 drayage trucks with cleaner running vehicles. The port was able to help drivers to offset the replacement costs with five different grants from the EPA and the Louisiana Clean Diesel Program.
We’ve been able to reduce fine particulate emissions by 96 per cent with these cleaner burning engines to achieve the equivalent of removing 116,000 cars off the road.
Finding innovative ways to save fuel and eliminate their related air emissions is a priority. “Recently, we have been reviewing various technologies and products that might reduce the energy necessary to operate our pile driver and dredging equipment – our two biggest diesel users and the largest source of our Scope 1 emissions,” Federer says by way of examples.
Strong community engagement
One of Port NOLA’s increasing strengths within the Green Marine program has been in building community engagement. “We’ve made it a priority to set up public meetings to get to know community leaders and NGO representatives so that we can productively discuss any potential issues about a port activity or project with them,” Schexnayder says.
We also have a dedicated community hotline, as well as a community office for our new terminal development with staff available near the project site two to three days a week to respond to community questions or concerns in person.
Community outreach has included various educational initiatives to make youth aware of the port’s role in the most environmentally sustainable transportation role. “In one case we had teachers from the Mississippi headwaters in Minnesota visit here in the Gulf area to learn about this end of the river as part of a teacher exchange that a local foundation organized,” Federer says. “The port also hosts Who Works the Rivers with River Works Discovery and other local businesses annually for students from middle through high school to learn about port and maritime jobs.”
Green Marine’s performance indicator on spill prevention and stormwater management has been used to help guide the port’s extensive planning and infrastructure.
All stormwater runoff from the container terminal and industrial real estate properties is channeled into stormwater ponds or pits with their own pump stations that provide a control for runoff pollution. Port NOLA works closely with the municipal stormwater utility. “We also did a climate risk assessment to determine how our future facilities could assist neighbouring areas with flooding during extreme weather events.”
The port is always on the lookout for innovative waste management practices and technologies to further reduce the waste generated at the ports two cruise terminals.
Lots to see and do
GreenTech delegates will go past many of the port’s terminals on their boat tour, including New Orleans Terminal LLC, Ports America and QSL. They may also notice the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad that Port NOLA acquired to operate as an independent switching railroad to primarily serve the port and local industries.
In May 2020, the railroad’s management opted for a lease program that would upgrade all the short-haul locomotives operating within the city to cleaner and quieter engines.
As for the rest of the conference visit, Federer says everyone goes to the French Quarter, but she also recommends jumping on a streetcar to visit Audubon Park uptown or City Park, which is larger than New York’s Central Park, for a more relaxing day to see a different authentic side of the city. “Both parks are lush with greenery and riding the streetcar down historic St. Charles Avenue or to City Park is a one-of-a-kind experience,” she says. “And, within City Park, there is New Orleans Museum of Art, a sculpture garden, mini golf, botanical gardens and a small Carousel Gardens amusement park.”
Schexnayder adds that the city is highly walkable. “You don’t need a vehicle to get to the Central Business District or the Arts/Warehouse District where there are all kinds of galleries, museums, restaurants and lounges,” she says.
Since 2016, Port NOLA has hosted a Mardi Gras Bead and Trinket Recycling Program through the Arc of Greater New Orleans at several locations at and around the port facilities to reduce the impact of Mardi Gras throws into landfills.
GreenTech 2025 is taking place at the Hilton Riverside Hotel on June 9th through 11th.