Growing the Gulf Coast: Alabama Port transforming locomotives into eco-friendly engines

Mobile, Ala. (WKRG) – The Alabama Port is a central location for industry, shipping, and manufacturing. In order to keep our environment clean, they are taking extra steps to help grow the Gulf Coast. As Judith Adams, Vice President of internal and external affairs for the Alabama State Port Authority says, “Lets see if we cant make Mobile Alabama a better place to live. ”  

Green Marine is an international program that promotes better environmental practices and focuses on management applications for reducing the carbon footprint. Not only does the port recycle oil and tires, but they also use different grades of fuel to help lower the emissions.

Their most recent project includes transforming all of their locomotives into eco-friendly engines. So far they have transformed five out of eight trains, with the sixth one on its way.

“So the air that goes out of the engine is cleaner than the air that goes into the engine,” says Darrel Lynd, Assistant General Manager at Terminal Railroad. They are doing this by converting our very old diesel locomotive engine technology to tier 4 EPA certified technology. To convert these locomotives is costly, but possible thanks to grants. The total cost is in excess of 1.7 million dollars, but well worth it to save our environment one train at a time.

This story originally appeared on WKRG by Colleen Peterson and Caroline Carithers. You can view the original story online here.