PRESS RELEASE
CALIFORNIA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION APPROVES $10 MILLION FOR PORT OF SACRAMENTO CHANNEL DEEPENING
West Sacramento, Calif., April 10, 2008 – The Port of Sacramento today announced that the California Transportation Commission (CTC) has voted to provide $10 million from the Proposition 1B Trade Corridor Improvement Fund for a project deepen the Port’s 43-mile ship channel from 30 feet to 35 feet.
“We’re very pleased that the CTC understood the value of this much-needed project. Deepening the channel will significantly improve the competitive position of the Port as we continue to expand its role in the Sacramento region’s economy,” said Mike McGowan, Chairman of the Sacramento-Yolo Port District Commission.
The $2 billion Trade Corridor Improvement Fund (TCIF) was created when California voters approved Proposition 1B, a $19.9 billion bond measure for statewide transportation projects, on the November 2006 ballot (see http://www.catc.ca.gov/programs/tcif.htm ).
The channel-deepening project is estimated to cost up to $80 million. In addition to the $10 million approved today by the CTC, the Port will provide $10 million and it is seeking up to $60 million in federal funding through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The deep-water ship channel runs from West Sacramento to the San Francisco Bay near Rio Vista. Deepening the channel by five feet will enable approximately 75 percent of the world’s shipping fleet to enter the Port fully loaded. Currently only 30 percent of the world’s ships can enter the Port with full loads.
The first eight miles of the deep-water ship channel extending from the Port were lowered to 35 feet by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in 1989 but the additional 35 miles of the channel remain at their original 30 foot depth, reducing the Port’s operating efficiency.
Because the deepened-channel will enable more goods – including cement, fertilizer, lumber, steel, wind energy equipment, project cargo, rice and large construction materials – to be moved into and from the Sacramento area by ship, at least 23,545 two-way truck trips will be removed annually from Interstate 80 between the Port and Bay Area, with corresponding air quality and congestion benefits.
The project also will provide up to 6.4 million cubic yards of material for potential use on Delta flood levees.
“This is a project with significant benefits for the Sacramento region and state,” said Christopher Cabaldon, West Sacramento Mayor and Port Commissioner. “It helps to reduce congestion and air emissions, produces material to help strengthen area levees, and increases the efficiency with which materials to support the Sacramento region’s economic growth can be exported and imported.”
Construction is planned to begin in 2010 with completion by 2013.
Obtaining this grant was a cumulative effort of the Port, SACOG, Labor, the Metropolitan and West Sacramento Chambers of Commerce, elected leaders throughout the Sacramento Region, State Legislative Delegation, Congressional Delegation and the Port of Oakland.
The Port of Sacramento has a strategic alliance with the Port of Oakland who has assisted the Port of Sacramento in achieving the goals of the Port, including deepening of the ship channel. This ten year alliance has benefitted both Ports who are striving to improve air quality, reduce congestion and move cargo through Northern California.
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PRESS RELEASE
PORT OF SACRAMENTO ANNOUNCES
$1 MILLION FOR PORT SECURITY FROM PROP 1B FUNDING
West Sacramento, Calif. -California Homeland Security Director Matthew Bettenhausen announced that $40 million will be applied toward improving Port Security in the state, a sum which includes funding for the Port of Sacramento. The funds come from voter-approved Proposition 1B, a measure approved by California voters to improve infrastructure, security, and public safety.
The Port of Sacramento will receive $1,026,728 for a series of security upgrades at the Port. These upgrades include improvements to communication systems, video systems, a patrol boat and modifications to the security gates. These upgrades were recommended by Port Security staff, the US Coast Guard, and an independent third party assessing security at the Port.
“Public safety is a top priority for the Port of Sacramento,” said Port Commission Chairman Mike McGowan, who also serves on the Yolo County Board of Supervisors. “This program enables the Port to meet the ever changing responsibilities for homeland security.”
“The Port and the city Police Department are working together as one seamless unit to address public safety at the Port of Sacramento,” said West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon. “This is a great improvement compared to the past.”
The Port of Oakland assists the Port of Sacramento with its security assessment needs. For
further information regarding the Port of Sacramento, please visit the Port’s website at www.portofsacramento.org. For the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, visit the website, www.homeland.ca.gov .
PRESS RELEASE
Port of Sacramento Grows Green
with Proposed State-of-the-Art Biodiesel Facility
Port Commission votes to sign agreement with leading low-carbon fuels company to build biodiesel facility
Moving to the forefront of new industry recruitment in Northern California, the Port of Sacramento has reached an agreement with Primafuel for the planned construction of a state of the art biodiesel manufacturing facility. Primafuel follows recent Port announcements to build new Pan Pacific Cement and Cemex Cement terminals . The revived port, now under the governance of the city of West Sacramento, completed a transition in its terminal operations to a landlord port this year.
Primafuel is a California-based company developing the production infrastructure and the technologies for next-generation low-carbon fuels. Primafuel’s world-class engineering, construction, and operations experts are developing some of the most advanced production facilities in the world. Primafuel’s US and European research teams are leading the energy industry’s drive towards zero-carbon fuels. The company is headquarted in Long Beach and has research operations in California and Sweden. The proposed Port of Sacramento production facility would occupy about 10 acres of previously developed space, and take advantage of the Port of Sacramento’s excellent logistics.
“California has a rich history of leading the world in agricultural productivity, environmental stewardship and advanced technology,” said Richard Root Woods, Chief Executive Officer of Primafuel. “As a California based company, Primafuel is proud to be working with the Port of Sacramento to develop a truly world-class biodiesel production and significant research and development facility.”
Biodiesel is a clean burning renewable alternative fuel that is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications.
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel to have fully completed the health effects testing requirements of the Clean Air Act, with over 15 years of rigorous testing. The use of biodiesel in a conventional diesel engine results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter compared to emissions from diesel fuel.
This proposed facility in West Sacramento will showcase California’s commitment under AB32 to reduce our state’s CO2 emissions and Primafuel’s leadership in sustainable development. The proposed facility could produce 60 million gallons of biodiesel every year, mitigating a substantial amount of CO2 pollution from entering our atmosphere.
The proposed facility is designed to exceed California’s tough air and water standards, using advanced technology to dramatically reduce air pollution and water use.
Biodiesel been proven to:
- Cut cancer causing particulate matter (PM) emissions by 47%
- Cut poisonous Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions by 48%
- Cut toxic Hydro-Carbon (HC) emissions by 67%
- Cut ozone/smog forming precursors significantly – Ground level ozone (smog) is a result of photochemical interaction between NOx, hydrocarbons,carbon monoxide (CO), and particulate mater. The US EPA has determined that the overall ozone (smog) forming potential of the hydrocarbon exhaust from biodiesel is nearly 50% less than diesel fuel. The use of biodiesel blends (B20) results in a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, and the most recent tests show that NOx emissions go essentially unchanged.
David Feuerherd of the American Lung Association of Arizona noted that “these tests establish biodiesel as a cleaner and healthier alternative to traditional diesel fuel. The fact that it is the only alternative fuel that can be used in existing engines and fueling infrastructure means that these clearly established health benefits can be realized…any where diesel fuel is currently being used.”
Primafuel’s proposed biodiesel production facility is feedstock flexible. Upon completion, the proposed facility will use some California-grown oil-seed products in its production. The extent of this regional feedstock depends on farm-gate economics. Many oilseed crops can be successfully grown on marginal lands with few inputs (water, pesticides, fertilizers, etc.) allowing oilseed production to increase in acreage without crowding out “food crops.” Primafuel is actively engaged in developing more substantial California feedstock and has established a locally-based agricultural and research outreach program.
Primafuel expects to begin construction in the near future, following the opening of the Pan Pacific terminal May 10. The Cemex terminal will open early next year.
For information about the Port of Sacramento, please contact:
Mike Luken at (916)371-8000
For information about Primafuel, please contact:
Jay Ziegler at (916) 341-0472 or Rahul Iyer at (562) 983-8162
Please visit www.primafuel.com for more information.
Link to Biodiesel Plant Article in Sacramento Bee
Container Ferry Feasibility Project
The Port of Sacramento, Port of Oakland and Port of Stockton are working on the feasibility of using a specially designed ferry that transports chassis-mounted containers which are loaded and unloading utilizing self-powered chassis trains. The ferry is pushed by a state-of-the-art integral tug meets current air regulation standards
The ferry can operate at existing channel depths at all three ports. It utilizes a drop-gate design, similar to a landing craft that minimizes the required landside improvements and facilitates the ingress and egress of the chassis trains. The use of “chassis trains” allows for pre-staging of the chassised containers into full ferry “blocks” for quick loading and unloading of the ferry. It is projected that the ferry would be in port for approximately one hour to both unload inbound containers and to load outbound containers.
As conceived, one tug/ferry combination would service each of the routes of Oakland to
West Sacramento and Oakland to Stockton. This service would transport both international and domestic containers.
Cargo and Other Benefits:
- Assists trucking firms in remaining productive by reducing the amount of time transiting congested intra-city corridors.
- Reduces air emissions by utilizing a single state-of-the-art tug to transport containers between Oakland-Sacramento and Oakland-Stockton and local air quality by using state of the art unloading systems.
- Reduces traffic congestion and improves traffic safety by removing a large number trucks per day from the traffic corridors between Oakland, Sacramento and Stockton
- Provides a transportation alternative for transporting people and supplies during natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes that might disrupt road and railroad transportation.
Download a Copy of the Container Ferry Feasibility Report
June 15, 2006
The Port Offices have moved to:
1110 West Capitol Ave., 1st Floor
West Sacramento, California 95691-2717
(916) 371-8000