The Jacksonville Port Authority announced Oct. 31 it received a $23.5 million federal grant to fund part of the port’s $47 million program to reduce emissions in cargo handling.
The money is from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program.
The project is focused on SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal at Blount Island Marine Terminal and Crowley’s JaxPort Talleyrand Terminal.
JaxPort calls its public-private partnership the Exemplifying Potential to Reduce Emissions with Sustainable Solutions project, or EXPRESS.
EXPRESS is one of the first large-scale projects dedicated to bring zero- to near-zero-emission cargo handling equipment technology to Florida, according to a JaxPort news release.
EXPRESS is part of an overall commitment between JaxPort and SSA to spend $370 million on modernization. The Maritime Administration awarded SSA a $20 million grant toward the improvements in 2019.
SSA is investing an additional $40 million for three additional eco-friendly container cranes that are expected to start operation in early 2023.
The plan is to spend $31.2 million at Blount Island. It includes six hybrid-electric rubber tire gantry cranes and several low- to zero-emission container top picks, forklifts and related charging infrastructure.
Another $14.6 million will go to the Crowley JaxPort Talleyrand Terminal. It will purchase about two dozen pieces of zero-emissions cargo handling equipment that includes forklifts, yard tractors and charging equipment.
“Moving to an electric fleet and more efficient terminal equipment will help us make a major impact in the Jacksonville community,” said Brett Bennett, senior vice president and general manager of Crowley Logistics, in a news release.
“This investment marks a milestone in our initiatives to build the port of the future and move cargo in the most efficient and eco-friendly way possible,” said JaxPort CEO Eric Green.
JaxPort says it is Florida’s No. 1 container port by volume and one of the nation’s top vehicle-handling ports.