December 12, 2025 — Trans-Pacific Green Shipping Corridor Advances: The ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles and Shanghai have made important progress on their initiative to develop a trans-Pacific green shipping corridor (GSC). The group and their partners aim to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying the world’s first zero lifecycle carbon emissions container ships by 2030.
The ports and their industry partners have met their goal of deploying a reduced/zero-carbon capable container ship on the trade route by 2025. To date, three dual-fuel LNG ships and one dual-fuel methanol ship have made at least one round trip between Shanghai and the San Pedro Bay on alternative fuel.
Other accomplishments include completing a fuel standards study and a companion supply and demand study to develop a strategy for using decarbonized marine fuel along the corridor; establishing core metrics for tracking carbon emissions from ships and port operations; laying the groundwork to commission a San Pedro Bay Clean Marine Fuels Feasibility Assessment; and launching a methanol bunkering pilot project in the San Pedro Bay ports complex. In Shanghai, container terminals are now fully equipped for ships at berth to run on electrical power. The port also provides green methanol and liquefied natural gas refueling services.
The Port of Long Beach, the Port of Los Angeles and the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission are leading the GSC initiative, with the support of C40 Cities. C40 Cities, which is serving as a facilitator for the project, is a network of nearly 100 mayors from the world’s leading cities committed to combating climate change. The group delivered its annual progress report at the North Bund Forum 2025 in Shanghai. A delegation of Port of Long Beach officials led by Port CEO Mario Cordero attended the October conference. Other key partners are the City of Los Angeles, A.P. Moller-Maersk, COSCO Shipping Lines, Evergreen, Ocean Network Express (ONE), the Shanghai International Ports Group (SPIG), the China Classification Society (CCS) and Asia’s Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre (MTCC).
Port Awards TAP Grant for ZE Tugboat: The Port of Long Beach has awarded Arc Boat Company a $1.375 million Technology Advancement Program grant toward the cost of demonstrating a zero-emissions tugboat in the coming year. TAP, a component of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan, funds pilot testing and real-world demonstrations of pre-commercial emission reduction and zero-emissions technologies for port-related mobile sources. The project calls for Arc to replace a diesel engine on the Harbor Sentinel, a tugboat owned and operated by Pacific Maritime Group, with a battery-electric propulsion system. The project involves a series of permitting, design, procurement and commissioning steps, including installing charging infrastructure to repower the vessel, prior to a one-year demonstration. The $4.6 million project is also supported by a state freight transportation incentive grant of more than $3 million, and Arc is contributing nearly $145,000. Founded in 2021, the Los Angeles-based company designs, builds and sells fully electric recreational watercraft. Arc is currently expanding its business to include commercial workboats.
Port Awards Hydrographic Services Contract: The Port of Long Beach is contracting with David Evans and Associates Inc. to provide supplemental hydrographic services to the Port’s Survey Division. DEA will support the Port’s in-house team on an as-needed basis during workload peaks and when additional expertise is needed. Port teams routinely survey the Long Beach Harbor seafloor to ensure elevation data is current, identify underwater debris or obstructions, and support construction of underwater infrastructure such as channels, dikes, fills, wharves, piers and other mooring structures. The maritime industry and government agencies rely on the data for safety and navigation. The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the three-year contract capped at $3 million in late November. DEA is based in Portland, Oregon.
Port to Study Converting its Vessel Fleet to Zero-Emissions: The Port of Long Beach has tapped Moffatt & Nichol to study the feasibility of converting Port-owned vessels to zero emissions and building the infrastructure needed to power them. The move supports Port goals of transitioning its own vehicles and vessels to zero emissions models. Under the one-year contract capped at $738,000, the Long Beach-based engineering firm will assess the Port’s current vessel fleet and operational needs, explore available zero-emissions technologies, and provide infrastructure recommendations and a financial analysis. The terms include an optional one-year extension.
Construction Begins on North Long Beach Greenbelt: After more than seven years of planning and design, the 51st Street Greenbelt Project in North Long Beach is now under construction. The Port of Long Beach was among the early supporters of the $6 million project. In 2019, the Port awarded the project a Port Community Grant of more than $999,000. A combination of federal, state, county and city funding is covering the rest. The project is transforming a one-acre swath of undeveloped land on DeForest Avenue alongside the Los Angeles River channel into a green space. Features include pedestrian trails, bike lanes, fitness stations, playground equipment, shaded benches, hydration stations and accessible parking that meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements. Sustainable landscaping includes new trees, ground cover, turf mounds and bioswales that capture runoff water and mitigate urban heat. The park is due to be completed in late 2026. The Port Community Grants Program supports community-based projects that reduce the impacts of Port-related operations on air quality, traffic, noise and water quality.
