Los Angeles
At the Port of Los Angeles OPS – known there as AMP – has been developed for container vessels. Coming on stream in 2004, it became the first port to supply container ships with OPS.
Role of local government
The OPS connections in Los Angeles are the result of the No Net Emission Increase programme (NNEI) for the port that was initiated by the LA municipal authority. To meet the associated emission target the port implemented the OPS programme.
OPS use widest in Los Angeles
The port has developed OPS connections and financially compensated ships to the tune of US $ 800,000 to install the onboard equipment needed to receive OPS and for using the system. This compensation scheme is very attractive for shipowners and has led to a total of 52 new-build (5000 TEU) container vessels being fitted out for OPS between 2005 and 2008.
High voltage becoming the standard
At the Port of Los Angeles two different systems have been realized. With the low-voltage system, installed in 2004, the 34.5 kV from the local grid is transformed to 6.6 kV at 60 Hz and again, on a barge, to 440 V. This low-voltage system is no longer in use.
Another terminal has been fitted with a system that uses one electrical vault and two connectors that supply 6.6 kV at 60 Hz to the ships. This is feasible because the new ships are able to receive 6.6 kV onboard and have their own cable reel, eliminating the need for barges. The cables are deployed from the ship to the quay and hooked up to the connection.
Evergreen
At the Evergreen terminal another system has been realized, which also supplies 6.6 kV directly to ships via a quayside electric vault. With this system there is no manual or automatic synchronization, but a brief blackout period during the switch from the auxiliary engine to the OPS system. Evergreen Marine has equipped multiple ships with equipment for using OPS.
For both the 6.6 kV OPS systems the port was able to partially use existing trenches, reducing the need for further quayside excavation and thus the overall cost of installation.
Future plans
The port plans to install OPS at more of its berths. Specifically, it intends to have OPS installed at fifteen berths by 2011, some of them suitable for other types of vessel like cruise ships and liquid bulk carriers.
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