Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2021

1 7 7 diesel auxiliary engines, which produce air emissions. Shore power, which allows ships to plug in to the local electricity grid and turn off those engines, is a cleaner alternative. While it brings environmental benefits, shore power involves significant infrastructure investments and other costs. The port is partnering with Texas A&M University in Galveston on an extensive cost-benefit study that includes the port’s costs to install shore power infrastructure, estimated demand over the next five to 10 years and financing opportunities. In addition, the port is collaborating with Royal Caribbean International to determine the feasibility of providing shore power to its ships at the new cruise terminal being built at Pier 10, which will open in 2022. Built by Royal Caribbean and owned by the port, the new $125 million, 150,000-square-foot terminal has been designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental (LEED) certification standards. It will be one of just a handful of LEED- certified buildings that meets a global set of health, efficiency and sustainability standards in Galveston. Renewable energy is also high on Galveston Wharves’ sustainability agenda. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, local governments can dramatically reduce their carbon footprints by purchasing electricity from clean, renewable sources. Hence, the port plans to fully transition to electricity providers who use sustainable power sources within five years. The port has already implemented waste reduction initiatives, including recycling programmes and buying sustainable paper products. It also has a policy to buy products made of recycled materials and consider vendor environmental practices in its selection process. Other potential programmes include adding alternative fuel vehicles to the port’s fleet and installing electric vehicle charging stations in the cruise parking lots. Some of these environmental programmes are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, whereas others will cost millions of dollars. Planning, research and seeking grants to help with funding are important first steps in the port’s long-term environmental commitment. As the fourth most popular cruise port in the USA and one of the busiest ports in Texas, the Port of Galveston welcomes hundreds of cruise, cargo and lay ships annually and generates $2.1 billion for the Texas economy. Now, the Galveston Wharves plans to lead the way in long- term environmental stewardship. CFR Rodger Rees is port director and CEO at Galveston Wharves “ Galveston Wharves plans to lead the way in long-term environmental stewardship”