PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Out with diesel, in with electric: The Port of Philadelphia is using more electric equipment to move its cargo.
Already, seven all-electric cranes are in use at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. Soon, PhilaPort grant compliance administrator Valerie Piper said two dozen electric yard trucks, which move cargo containers, will arrive.
“In the next four to six weeks, there will be 24 moved to Packer Avenue — brand new, off the assembly line,” she said. “With each of those units, there’s going to be several chargers that are going to be deployed, and we do also have — very exciting — at the end of the year, a new rail switcher.”
Piper said the electric vehicles are proving to be popular.
“Already, the operators who have units are saying they love them. The workers love them. They’re quiet, they’re clean.”
As it moves to reduce carbon emissions, PhilaPort is using a $78 million EPA grant to acquire the new equipment.
The port is also hoping to buy two new electric ship-to-shore cranes, but U.S. firms don’t make them, so it is waiting on a waiver under the Build America, Buy America Act.
