Shore Power for Ocean-going Vessels - FAQs

This page last reviewed December 2, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding the At-Berth Ocean-Going Vessels Regulation

This page contains some of the most commonly asked questions regarding the Regulation. Additional FAQs will be added as needed. Please click the questions below to view the answers.

Applicability
1. What is the purpose of the regulation?
2. Who must comply with the regulation?
3. Are fleets in other ocean-going vessel categories affected by the regulation?
4 What is required of affected fleet operators?
5 What is required of affected ports?
6. What is required of affected terminal operators?
7. What is a fleet?
8. Is a fleet port-specific?
9. Is there a minimum annual ship visit threshold for determining a fleet's applicability?
10. When in the year must the minimum visits threshold be met?
Compliance Options
11. What are the compliance options?
12. What is the Reduced Onboard Power Generation option?
13. Under this compliance option, are there additional requirements for shore-power-equipped ships that visit berths with compatible power?
14. What is the compliance schedule for the Reduced Onboard Power Generation option?
15. Are there exemptions to the three-hour operating limit?
16. What is the Equivalent Emissions Reduction option?
17. What is the compliance schedule for the Equivalent Emissions Reduction option?
18. What types of emission controls could be used under this option?
Incentives
19. Are there incentives available for this program?
Fleet Emission Credits
20. What are fleet emission credits?
21. Who can accrue credits?
22. When can the credits be used?
23. Can grid-based shore power be used to accrue credits?
24. Are credits transferable?
25. Can the credits be used for other air pollution control programs?
26. When does a fleet apply for credits?
Reporting Requirements
27. What is a terminal plan?
28. When are terminal plans due?
29. What kind of information will the terminal operator need to develop the terminal plan?
30. What tools are available for developing the terminal plan?
31. What is a vessel fleet plan?
32. When are vessel plans due?
33. What tools are available for developing the vessel plan?
34. What is an annual compliance statement?
35. When are compliance statements due?
36. What tools are available for submitting the compliance statements?

1. What is the purpose of the regulation?
The purpose of the regulation is to reduce hotelling (or at-berth) emissions and associated health impacts from diesel-fueled auxiliary engines onboard ships docked at California ports.
2. Who must comply with the regulation?
Regulated Party Types
Operators of Ocean-Going Vessel Fleets Container ship fleets
Refrigerated-cargo ship fleets
Passenger ship fleets
California Ports Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland, San Francisco, San Diego, and Hueneme
Operators of Terminals Terminals located at ports above receiving types of fleets identified above
3. Are fleets in other ocean-going vessel categories affected by the regulation?
No.  Fleets in other ocean-going vessel categories (i.e., tankers, vehicle carriers, and bulk and general cargo ships) are not affected by the regulation. Similarly, terminals and ports that only receive these types of ships are not affected by the regulation. 
4. What is required of affected fleet operators?
The regulation requires a fleet operator to reduce at-berth emissions from its vessels’ auxiliary engines while docked at one of the California ports specified in the regulation. Emission reduction targets must be met starting in 2010 or 2014, depending on the compliance option chosen by the fleet operator. Vessel fleet plans are due to the ARB six months prior to these compliance dates:  either July 1, 2009, or July 1, 2013.  Refer to questions 31 to 33 for more information on the vessel plan requirements. Compliance statements are due to the ARB annually beginning 2011 or 2015.  Refer to questions 34 to 36 for more information on the annual compliance statement requirements.
5. What is required of affected ports?
The ports must submit annual vessel visit information (wharfinger data) to the ARB starting in 2011 (for 2010 data). 
6. What is required of affected terminal operators?
Operators of terminals located at the specified ports that receive vessels in the affected ship categories must submit an initial terminal plan to the ARB by July 1, 2009.  Refer to questions 27 to 30 for more information on the terminal plan requirements.
7. What is a fleet?
A fleet is defined in the regulation as owned or chartered ships of one vessel type that visit the same port and are under the direct control of the same company.
8. Is a fleet port-specific?
Yes. A company will have a separate fleet for each port its ships visit. For example, if a company has ships visiting the Port of Long Beach and ships visiting the Port of Oakland, the company is considered to have two separate fleets, one a “POLB-based fleet” and the other a “Port of Oakland-based fleet.” If a company has ships that visit POLA and ships that visit POLB, all of those ships collectively are considered one fleet (POLA/POLB fleet), as these two ports are considered one port for purposes of complying with this regulation.  
9. Is there a minimum annual ship visit threshold for determining a fleet's applicability?
Yes. The regulation applies to an operator of a container-ship or refrigerated-cargo ship fleet whose ships cumulatively make 25 or more visits annually to one of the specified ports.  It also applies to an operator of a passenger-ship fleet whose ships cumulatively make five or more visits annually to one of these ports.  Fleets whose ships cumulatively make less than the specified minimum annual visits to a port are not affected by the regulation.
10. When in the year must the minimum visits threshold be met?
If the fleet exceeds the minimum visit limits anytime in a year, the fleet is responsible for complying with the regulatory requirements for that entire year. For example, if the fleet meets the minimum visits threshold in November of a given year, the fleet must have complied with the requirements during the entire year.
11. What are the compliance options?
The regulation ultimately requires a fleet operator to reduce at-berth emissions from its vessels’ auxiliary engines at the port by 80 percent by 2020. The regulation provides fleet operators two options to reduce emissions: the Reduced Onboard Power Generation option and the Equivalent Emissions Reduction option. Each option has a specific compliance schedule.
12. What is the Reduced Onboard Power Generation option?
There are two requirements under this option that a fleet operator must meet for ships docked at a port: 
  • 1) Auxiliary engines must be turned off while a ship is docked. This applies to a specified percentage of a fleet's total ship visits made to a port annually (see question 14 for more detail).  These types of visits are referred to as "shore-power" visits, as the ships will presumably connect to on-shore grid-based power to replace the onboard auxiliary engine power generation. The ships will be allowed to run their auxiliary engines for up to three hours* while at berth to account for connect/disconnect time. 
  • 2) In addition to meeting the visits criteria, this option also requires a minimum reduction of the amount of onboard auxiliary engine power generated by the fleet's ships (see question 14 for more detail).
* five hours for nonsynchronous power transfer.
13. Under this compliance option, are there additional requirements for shore-power-equipped ships that visit berths with compatible power?
Yes. Starting January 1, 2010, a shore-power-equipped ship that is part of an affected fleet (i.e.,the fleet meets or exceeds the minimum visits threshold at the port) must connect to shore power during every visit to the port when power is available at the berth and is compatible with the ship's shore-power equipment.
14. What is the compliance schedule for the Reduced Onboard Power Generation option?
Date Requirement Compliance Period
January 1, 2010 Shore-power equipped ships that are part of an affected fleet must use shore power while visiting the port if it is available at the berth and is compatible with the ship's shore-power equipment.
January 1, 2014 50 percent of the fleet's visits to a port must be shore-power visits and the total auxiliary engine power generated by the fleet's ships while docked at the port must be reduced by 50 percent 1. Requirements must be met quarterly
January 1, 2017 70 percent of the fleet's visits to a port must be shore-power visits and the total auxiliary engine power generated by the fleet's ships while docked at the port must be reduced by 70 percent 1. Requirements must be met quarterly
January 1, 2020 80 percent of the fleet's visits to a port must be shore-power visits and the total auxiliary engine power generated by the fleet's ships while docked at the port must be reduced by 80 percent 1. Requirements must be met quarterly
1In addition, shore-power equipped ships that are part of an affected fleet must use shore power during every visit to the port when power is available at the berth and is compatible with the ship's shore-power equipment.
15. Are there exemptions to the three-hour operating limit?
Yes. The regulation includes specific exemptions to the three-hour limit. Auxiliary engines can be operated beyond three hours if the ship experiences an emergency event involving the availability of shore-side power at the berth, or if the ship is delayed by the Coast Guard or Homeland Security.
16. What is the Equivalent Emissions Reduction Option?
Fleet operators may choose to achieve equivalent at-berth emission reductions using various control measures. Under this option, a fleet may reduce emissions using ship-side and shore-side control technologies, including grid-based shore power.
17. What is the compliance schedule for the Equivalent Emissions Reduction option?
Date Requirement Compliance Period
January 1, 2010 10 percent at-berth emission reductions Requirements must be met annually
January 1, 2012 25 percent at-berth emission reductions Requirements must be met annually
January 1, 2014 50 percent at-berth emission reductions Requirements must be met quarterly
January 1, 2017 70 percent at-berth emission reductions Requirements must be met quarterly
January 1, 2020 80 percent at-berth emission reductions Requirements must be met quarterly
18. What types of emission controls could be used under this option?
Fleets could use various control methods to reduce at-berth emissions, including:
  • grid-based shore power
  • non-grid-based shore power (distributed generation equipment such as natural gas-fueled engines);
  • emission controls installed on the ships (e.g., particulate control traps, selective catalytic reduction units, and alternative fuels);
  • emission controls installed at the wharf (e.g., a bonnet emissions capture and treatment system).
19. Are there incentives available for this program?
There are three types of incentives for early or excess emission reductions under this program: Proposition 1B funding, Carl Moyer Program funding, and fleet emission credits. Proposition 1B funding is available for shore-side infrastructure/control equipment costs at container-ship and refrigerated-cargo ship terminals. More information can be found at ARB's Goods Movement Emission Reduction Program webpage.
Carl Moyer funding is available for onboard vessel retrofit costs and shore-side transformer costs at passenger-ship terminals.  More information can be found at ARB's Carl Moyer Program website.
Fleet emission credits may be accumulated and used by fleets choosing the equivalent emissions reduction option that achieve early or excess emission reductions. Emission reductions achieved from publicly-funded projects are not eligible for credits.
20. What are fleet emission credits?
Fleet emission credits are at-berth NOx and PM emission reductions achieved by a fleet at a particular port prior to 2010 or in excess of the 2010 and 2012 emission reduction requirements that may be credited to the fleet for later use. The early or excess emission reductions cannot be the result of other regulations that affect ship emissions. Credits earned at a port may be used by the fleet if it fails to meet its emission reduction target at the port for a specific compliance period.
21. Who can accrue credits?
Only fleet operators choosing the equivalent emissions reduction option can accrue and use fleet emission credits.
22. When can the credits be used?
A fleet can use its emission credits toward compliance with its 2010, 2012, and 2017 emission reduction requirements.  No credits are allowed for meeting the 2014 and 2020 requirements.
23. Can grid-based shore power be used to accrue credits?
Yes, but only under the equivalent emissions reduction option.
24. Are credits transferable?
Credits are non-transferable. They can only be used by the fleet that achieved the early or excess emission reductions and only at the port where those reductions occurred.
25. Can the credits be used for other air pollution control programs?
No, the credits cannot be used in any other program administered by the ARB or the local air district.
26. When does a fleet apply for credits?
Fleet emission credit applications for emission reductions achieved prior to
January 1, 2010, must be submitted to the ARB by March 1, 2010. Applications for emission reductions achieved in 2010 and 2011 that are in excess of the 10 percent reduction requirements are due by March 1, 2012. Applications for emission reductions achieved in 2012 and 2013 in excess of the 25 percent reduction requirements are due by March 1, 2014.  View our Fleet emission credit applications and instructions.
27. What is a terminal plan?
Operators of terminals receiving more than 50 visits in 2008 by vessels in the affected ship categories (container ships, passenger ships and refrigerated-cargo ships) must submit a plan to ARB outlining how the terminal will provide the necessary infrastructure for affected fleets to comply with the regulation. 
28. When are terminal plans due?
Terminal plans are due to ARB by July 1, 2009. Plans must be updated periodically.
29. What kind of information will the terminal operator need to develop the terminal plan?
To complete the terminal plan, a terminal operator will have to collect specific fleet information from each affected fleet that visits its facility, including a determination of the compliance option the fleet will use to comply with the regulation. Information will also be needed from the port and local utility.
30. What tools are available for developing the terminal plan?
ARB has developed terminal plan forms, instructions, and examples.
31. What is a vessel fleet plan?
An affected fleet operator must submit a plan to the ARB identifying the compliance option it will use to reduce at-berth emissions at the port and outlining how vessels in the fleet will comply with the specific option requirements.
32. When are vessel plans due?
Vessel plan due dates are based on the compliance option chosen by the fleet operator.  Fleets complying with the equivalent emissions reduction option must submit initial plans by July 1, 2009.  Fleets complying with the reduced onboard power generation option must submit initial plans by July 1, 2013.  Plans must be updated periodically.
33. What tools are available for developing the vessel plan?
ARB has developed vessel plan forms and instructions.
34. What is an annual compliance statement?
A fleet operator must submit annual compliance statements to the ARB certifying compliance with the regulatory requirements for the applicable compliance period.
35. When are compliance statements due?
The statements are due by March 1 of each year, demonstrating the fleet's compliance with the requirements for the previous year. Initial statements are due by March 1, 2011, for fleets choosing the equivalent emissions reduction option, and by March 1, 2015, for fleet's choosing the reduced onboard power generation option.
36. What tools will be available for submitting the compliance statements?
ARB staff is developing compliance statement forms and instructions, which will be posted to our website when available. 


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