The Port of San Diego is doubling the onshore capacity at its B Street and Broadway Pier cruise terminals to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in and around San Diego Bay, announced on Monday.

The Board of Port Commissioners approved $ 4.6 million to fund the project, as well as various agreements related to the purchase, construction, and installation of additional shore power equipment to connect two cruise ships calling San Diego to U.S. shore power outlets can be connected at the same time. This means that the ships do not have to run their diesel engines in port.

“This is a good investment and just one of our many clean air projects on the horizon,” said Michael Zucchet, chairman of the port’s Board of Commissioners. “In addition to providing the infrastructure for almost every cruise ship to use power in port, we are installing a solar-powered microgrid at our Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal that will add additional chargers for public electric vehicles on the bay, and more.

“The port’s goal is to be a good neighbor. That includes cleaner air for everyone who lives, works and plays in and around San Diego Bay,” said Zucchet.

The port’s stated goal is to complete the expansion of its shore power supply by September 2022, four months ahead of the recently updated California Air Resources Board regulations requiring essentially all cruise ships entering California’s ports to use shore power from January 1, 2023 prompt.

Two shore sockets at the cruise terminals lead to a reduction in harmful pollutants such as NOx and diesel particles by at least 90% as well as a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The port installed shore power at the cruise terminals for the first time in 2010. This makes it one of the first ports in California to have shore power available for cruise ships and beats a government regulation to reduce diesel particulate emissions from at least 50% of cruise calls by nearly four years.

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