LOS ANGELES, NAGOYA SISTER PORTS HOST SECOND ANNUAL SUSTAINABILITY CONFERENCE
Virtual Discussion Focuses on Digitalization and Carbon-Reduction Initiatives Set in 2020 Cooperative Agreement
SAN PEDRO, Calif. – June 15, 2022 – Officials from the Port of Los Angeles and Port Authority of Nagoya, Japan, convened a virtual conference this week to discuss collaboration on various environmental and digital project priorities in line with a Cooperative Agreement the two ports forged in March 2020. The focus points of that agreement are collaboration and information sharing on initiatives related to environmental sustainability and operational efficiencies.
“The deep history between our ports and cities are the foundation of this ever-evolving collaboration, just as port community systems and zero-emission technologies are emerging in each of our supply chain ecosystems,” said Mr. Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles. “Both gateways have the will and wherewithal to learn from each other in order to advance initiatives that will help our ports to operate more efficiently while gradually reducing our carbon footprints.”
“Our organization views Japan’s initiatives to achieve a carbon-free society as logistics and industries policies,” said Mr. Yuji Kamata, Executive Vice President of the Nagoya Port Authority. “We are promoting the formation of a carbon neutral port through the building of import bases for hydrogen, carbon-free port operations including cargo handling equipment, and the utilization of next-generation energy sources at steelworks, power stations, chemical plants and other factories.”
The Second Anniversary Virtual Environmental and Operational Efficiency Conference kicked off with remarks from Mr. Seroka, Mr. Kamata, Mr. Akira Muto, Consul General of Japan Consulate General in Los Angeles, and Mr. Matthew Cenzer, Principal Officer, Consulate of the U.S. in Nagoya. Topics of technical discussions included:
• Updates on Port of Los Angeles’ Clean Air Action Plan projects, Nagoya Port Authority’s Carbon Neutral Port Formation Plan, and Nagoya Toyota Tsusho’s Hydrogen Value Chain Development Plan;
• Supply chain visibility and analytics for Port of Los Angeles stakeholders through the Port Optimizer™ port community system; and various hydrogen-powered equipment utilization initiatives – including pre-production Toyota Motor North America Hydrogen Fuel Cell Class 8 Trucks in testing at the Port of Los Angeles and Mitsui E &S’s development of a Hydrogen-Powered Zero-Emissions Transtainer (rubber tire terminal crane);
• Nagoya United Terminal System Digitization Initiative; Japan Toyota’s Chubu Hydrogen Utilization Council; Nagoya Toyota Tsusho’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Utilization Model Feasibility Survey; Toyota Motor North America’s Zero and Near-Zero Emissions Freight Facilities Project (Class 8 Fuel Cell Trucks); America Toyota Tsusho’s Hydrogen Value Chain Demonstration Project; Mitsui E&S Machinery’s Hydrogen RTG Development Plan; and Choshu Industry’s New Transportation Refrigeration Unit (TRU) Development Plan; and
• Nagoya Port Authority’s incentive system to promote LNG- fueled and bunkered vessels, and multi-million-dollar-grants awarded to Toyota Tsusho America and Mitsui E&S from the Japan New Energy and Industrial Development Organization (NEDO) to develop hydrogen terminal equipment.
The L.A.-Nagoya 2020 Agreement established more formal cooperation and exchange of information between the two ports on various topics, including port community systems and end-to-end supply chain information sharing platforms; development and deployment of zero-emission vehicles and equipment; and other activities connecting science, industry and start-ups that could contribute to both ports’ efficiency and environmental priorities.
The Los Angeles and Nagoya Sister City Affiliation began as a part of President Eisenhower’s Citizens’ International Exchange Program in 1959. The primary goal of the sister city program is to foster mutual understanding between the people of Los Angeles and Nagoya through cultural, educational and people-to-people exchange activities. Over the decades, the two ports relationship has been celebrated by numerous visits, exchange programs and meetings.
The busiest seaport in the Western Hemisphere, the Port of Los Angeles is North America’s leading trade gateway and has ranked as the number one container port in the United States for 22 consecutive years. In 2021, the Port facilitated $294 billion in trade and handled a total of 10.7 million container units, the busiest calendar year in the Port’s 115-year history. San Pedro Bay port complex operations and commerce facilitate one in nine jobs across the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura.