APM Terminals: Reducing Greenhouse Gases

APM Terminals is committed to reducing their carbon footprint through projects targeting greenhouse gas emissions. As the sole gateway for container shipment in the Port of Mobile, APM Terminals handles 250,000 containers annually. Team members at the terminal continually seek opportunities to reduce emissions. 

The current fleet of gas-powered vehicles is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions at the terminal. In the past, the technology of electric trucks did not meet the company’s needs. Advances in electric vehicles have allowed the terminal to begin replacing trucks with electric models. 

“We are pleased to see how we can make this work efficiently,” said Brian Harold, managing director for APMT Mobile. Making the change required installing the necessary infrastructure to charge vehicles on site. To date, the terminal has replaced twenty vehicles, with plans to replace the entire fleet over time. Moving the entire fleet to electric-powered vehicles will reduce greenhouse emissions by approximately 85%.

Another major update in progress includes replacing 280 100-watt high pressure sodium floodlights with 538-watt LED floodlights. Upon completion, this will result in a 42% reduction in electric consumption and a 54% reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The change will also have a positive impact on skyglow. This phase of the initiative is 50% complete. 

In addition to the above efforts, the terminal is replacing older equipment with more efficient models. Nineteen utility tractors (UTR’s) and five reach stackers will be replaced with newer models that are expected to reduce emissions by 30%.

Other energy-efficient updates include replacing office light switches with motion sensor switches and replacing five air conditioning unit with units that are 40% more efficient.

Environmental stewardship is part of the company culture. There is “a sense of personal responsibility that we take very seriously,” said Harold. “APM Terminals greatly enjoys being a member of the Mobile community, and we plan to be here for many years to come. There is no greater responsibility we have than to be responsible corporate citizens, and a major part of that is being responsible in how we treat the environment”.