The Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners approved the Mitsubishi Cement facility modification Project last week, which will allow the company to meet increasing regional demand for cement more efficiently.
The expansion project involves 40,000t of additional storage capacity consisting of storage and loading silos on vacant Port property adjacent to Mitsubishi’s existing facility. The site will increase in size from 4.21 acres to 5.92 acres.
Environmental measures
The board’s approval was contingent on environmental measures and upgrades. The project requires Mitsubishi Cement to maintain a truck fleet with at least 90 per cent of the fleet having engines from 2010 or newer. Mitsubishi will also install solar panels and energy-efficient lighting and conduct an energy audit every five years. Mitsubishi will also work with the Port on a technology review every five years to identify new technologies that can be incorporated into operations to further reduce emissions.
With the upgrades, when ships can't use shore power, a new emission control system called “Dockside Catalytic Control” will connect to the vessels’ exhaust stacks and capture pollutants.
“We must continue to be a partner and a leader in both commerce and moving sustainability efforts forward – the two are not mutually exclusive,” said Harbor Commission President Doug Drummond.
The project also calls for Mitsubishi Cement to contribute US$333,720 to the Port’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Grant Program. The Port Community Mitigation Grant Programs are designed to improve community health by lessening the impacts of Port-related air pollution, and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
Construction of the improvements is expected to take 2-3 years.
