The Northwest Seaport Alliance has completed the installation of a shore-power system at Husky Terminal in Tacoma, marking a major milestone in its Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy.
On 15 June, Hapag-Lloyd’s Kuala Lumpur Express became the first ship to plug into the newly commissioned infrastructure.
Husky is now the second international cargo terminal in Washington State with shore-power capability, following Terminal 5 in Seattle, which came online in 2023.
The achievement keeps the NWSA on track toward its interim objective of equipping every international terminal with shore power by 2030 and its overarching goal of eliminating all maritime emissions by 2050 or sooner.
NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Tacoma Commission President John McCarthy stated that shore power is a key component of phasing out maritime emissions, and this project is a major gateway milestone.”
Shore power allows visiting vessels to shut down auxiliary diesel engines while at berth and connect to the local electrical grid, eliminating greenhouse-gas emissions and diesel particulate matter that affect nearby communities.
Upcoming installations are planned for Terminal 18 in Seattle and Washington United Terminal in Tacoma, while Tacoma’s domestic TOTE terminal has been shore-power capable since 2010.
NWSA Co-Chair and Port of Seattle Commission President Toshiko Hasegawa credited broad collaboration for the project’s success, singling out Husky Terminal, Hapag-Lloyd, Tacoma Public Utilities, ILWU Local 22, and financial backing from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Legislature.
Combined state and federal grants drawing on VW Settlement funds, the EPA’s Diesel Emission Reduction Act, and the Trans-Alta Coal Transition program contributed more than USD 3 million toward the installation.
With more than half of NWSA-calling vessels already shore-power ready the alliance views such investments as integral to its Best-in-Class operational mission and to long-term environmental stewardship across the gateway.
