Zero-emission equipment will be purchased and deployed at the Port of Long Beach under a $58.2 million approval covering cargo equipment, cleaner harbor craft and a zero-emission locomotive.

Port of Long Beach clean air equipment and container terminal
Official Port of Long Beach image related to clean air and zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment. Photo: Port of Long Beach

Zero-emission equipment under the SWIFT initiative

The funding falls under the port’s System-Wide Investment in Freight Transport⁠, or SWIFT, initiative. Port officials said in a press release that the programme is partly backed by the California State Transportation Agency and is intended to support modernization, make freight movement more efficient and reduce environmental impacts on nearby communities.

Port tenants and operators will use the money for several types of cleaner transport equipment. The planned purchases include 61 zero-emission, human-operated cargo-handling units and 21 chargers for that equipment. The programme also covers six zero-emission harbor craft and five cleaner harbor craft to replace older diesel engines, along with the acquisition of a zero-emission locomotive.

Port of Long Beach clean technology plans

POLB CEO Noel Hacegaba said the clean technology expansion is tied to both goods movement and community health.

“Expanding our clean technology portfolio is critical to the future of goods movement and to the health of the communities around us,” said POLB CEO Noel Hacegaba. “We are not waiting for the future to arrive; we are shaping it and leading the way by deploying the latest zero-emission equipment to make a difference today.”

Aerial view of Port of Long Beach container terminals
Illustrative aerial view of the Port of Long Beach container terminals. Photo: James R. Tourtellotte / CBP / Public domain

The SWIFT initiative gives the Port of Long Beach a broader framework for clean freight investment beyond this equipment purchase. CalSTA’s Port and Freight Infrastructure Program materials describe SWIFT as covering the port’s goods movement logistics chain, while earlier POLB funding under the same initiative also supported cleaner cargo-handling equipment and harbor craft. This places the $58.2 million approval within a wider state-backed effort to modernize freight operations and reduce environmental impacts around port activity.

The Port of Long Beach is served by Pacific Harbor Line⁠, which provides interchange connections with BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad.