TAMANNA GARG | MEL Candidate | December 14, 2023
Mentors: MANISH SONI, INDUSTRIAL ENERGY MANAGER, VANCOUVER FRASER PORT AUTHORITY
In alignment with British Columbia’s climate targets for CleanBC by 2030 and the ambitious net-zero objective by 2050, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is proactively taking initiatives to decarbonize its operations. This capstone project focuses on conducting an energy assessment to create a roadmap for decarbonizing port activities, aiming to identify new technologies for low-carbon alternatives and estimate the additional energy demand resulting from implementing those technology upgrades. This information is crucial for energy planning by BC Hydro, the power supply utility in BC.
To achieve this goal, the emission inventory for the Port of Vancouver has been analyzed to identify major CO2 emitting equipment categories with a focus on eliminating the use of diesel and other fossil fuels. Following this, research has been conducted to find low-carbon technology alternatives for these equipment categories and assess their technology readiness levels. Examples of equipment analyzed include RTG cranes, forklifts, loaders, and RMG cranes. Furthermore, the electricity demand for these alternatives has been calculated for each piece of equipment, depending on the requirements. The sum total of the demand for each equipment category determines the additional electricity capacity required.
Based on this analysis, recommendations have been made for low-carbon technology alternatives, terminal-wise increases in electricity demand, and an overall potential 70% reduction in GHG emissions for the Port of Vancouver. This exercise facilitates the prioritization of terminals for decarbonization, the installation of infrastructure, and supports the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) in the energy master planning for the Port of Vancouver.
