The
Coalition for Responsible Transportation has
commended one of its members,
Totem Ocean Trailer Express, for becoming the first container shipping line to announce that it is
converting its Orca class vessels to use liquefied natural gas as their primary
fuel source.
The conversion
will advance the use of alternative fuels technology in container shipping, the
coalition says, and accelerate the use of natural gas as a cleaner domestic
energy source.
“TOTE’s
deployment of LNG ocean vessels is a truly extraordinary accomplishment. CRT’s
members have been at the forefront of emission reduction efforts in the supply
chain, and have been pioneers in advancing the use of LNG technology in port
trucks,” says CRT Chairman Rick Gabrielson, coalition member Target’s director
of international transportation, in a coalition press release. “The expansion
of LNG technology to ocean vessels is truly a game-changer from an emission
reduction perspective.”
To TOTE’s
knowledge, this will be the first conversion in the world of vessels of this
type, the company says. In addition to exceeding the sulfur reduction goals of MARPOL
Emissions Control Area requirements by 95 percent, when the TOTE ships are
converted, they will achieve significant emissions reductions in all other
categories of emissions: particulate matter, nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide;
making these ships among the cleanest in the world, TOTE says.
“This project is
consistent with TOTE’s core philosophies that reflect a deep commitment to the
environment and to the communities it serves,” says CRT Board Member Anthony
Chiarello, who is CEO and president of Totem Ocean Trailer Express’ parent
company, TOTE, Inc. “TOTE is proud to once again be seen as a leader in the
U.S. maritime industry.”