In 2022, Port Houston committed two million dollars towards two community green space initiatives focused on health equity through green spaces.

The first program is carried out in partnership with the Houston Parks Board through the 50/50 Parks initiative. Port Houston is sponsoring two parks, at $500,000 each. The first is Hidalgo Park, right across from our Sam Houston Pavilion, and the second one is Oak Meadow Park, a block away from Pasadena and close to one of our dredged material placement sites. These parks will get additional funds through the Parks Initiative, which will result in a significant revitalization.

In 2023, Port Houston was honored to join the ribbon cutting ceremony for Hidalgo Park. Port Houston helped provide funding for improvements to the park which included a new splash pad, new maritime themed playground, improved sidewalks, improved lighting, painting, and more!

The second program, with an investment of one million dollars, is done in partnership with the small cities and unincorporated areas in East Harris County. We are currently planning to invest in green spaces in Shore Acres, Galena Park, Jacinto City, and multiple SPARK parks throughout the Houston Ship Channel area. This program is grassroots focused and consists of green space needs assessments conducted per city, with input from city officials and community members, and prioritization of needs in those communities.

Both programs are grounded in community engagement with a goal of improving health equity. We are focused on being intentional and listening to the communities we are hoping to support. These programs are scheduled to run until 2024.

Additionally, Port Houston has awarded money to other greenspace initiatives through the 2022 Community Grants Program. Non-profit organizations like Rebuilding Together Houston, Houston Botanic Garden, Native Plant Society of Texas, and Target Hunger are helping provide green programs to improve the local community.

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Caption: Bipartisanship and collaboration were on full display at the Project 11 Dredge Kick-Off Celebration event on June 1st, with the Port Commission, and Congressional, State, and Local delegations, leading the way.

Partnership, progress, and potential were on full display at the Port’s Project 11 Dredge Kick-Off Celebration on June 1^st. Over 200 stakeholders and elected officials gathered to commemorate the kick-off for the $1 Billion project hosted by Port Houston and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the USACE Galveston District Headquarters.

A joint effort across various federal, state, and local agencies helped bring Project 11 to life. The project received a major boost from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January 2022 when $142 million was allocated to the project to help complete Segment 3, the Barbours Cut Container Terminal section. At 82% funded, Project 11 has received wide-spread support from a diverse group of elected officials and it’s on track to be completed by the end of 2025.

Ric Campo, the Chairman of the Port Commission delivered remarks to the crowd highlighting the partnership it takes to bring a project of such magnitude to this point. Chairman Campo also pointed to the potential and progress the project represents, citing that over 75% of the jobs sustained and created by the Houston Ship Channel are located in disadvantaged communities. Once completed, Project 11 will generate an additional $134 million annually in economic impact, equating to $367,123 a day in added benefits for the American worker and their families.

The newly retrofitted clean Dredge Carolina, owned by Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, arrived to Galveston for the event. Dredge Carolina is equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction technology to significantly reduce NOx emissions, resulting in 38% cleaner than Tier 3 equipment. Lasse Petterson, CEO of Great Lakes Dock and Dredge Company, states “Dredge Carolina is one of the largest dredges in the United States. She is 340 feet long, 65 feet wide, and has about 16,000 horsepower.”

USACE Southwestern District Commander Col. Kenneth N. Reed stressed how important Project 11 is for the Galveston District and the District’s higher headquarters. “As the federal agency that maintains and constructs much of the nation’s public infrastructure, the Army Corps of Engineers continues to work with Port Houston on one of the most impactful infrastructure projects nationwide.”

The work of widening and deepening the Houston Ship Channel will have tremendous positive economic, safety, and environmental benefit for the entire nation. To learn more, visit www.expandthehoustonshipchannel.com.

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First Port with Renewable Electricity

For nearly 25 years, Port Houston has been the nation’s top port for energy and petrochemical cargo. Starting in 2002, we were the first port authority in the U.S. to achieve an ISO 14001 certification for our environmental management system. Nearly two decades ago, we were already a leader, putting sustainability framework into place, demonstrating that our team was looking not only at our obligations as a port operator, but at what our opportunities were to go beyond the requirements.

This year, Port Houston was the first port authority in the world to choose 100% renewable electricity for the public facilities that we operate. We entered into a 10-year renewable electricity contract where all the terminals that we operate receive electricity from a brand-new solar farm in West Texas. This will lower Port Houston’s carbon footprint by about 25,000 tons each year and save around $250,000 each year.
In relation to renewable electricity, the port has also implemented a CO2 Reduction Program. The greatest part of the CO2 reduction comes from the renewable electricity contract, and the other CO2 reductions comes from efforts such as replacing all high-mast lighting with LEDs, purchasing new hybrid RTG cranes, and, potentially, from installing high-tech building energy management systems.

Not only is Port Houston going all-in on renewable electricity, but it also plays a vital role in wind energy. Texas ranks number one in the nation for wind projects and much of the wind energy components are imported through Port Houston. In fact, this year alone more than 19,000 short tons of wind power equipment have arrived through our docks.

Sustainability for the Future

In between the two milestones Port Houston hit in 2002 and 2020, we have also made several other moves toward sustainability. In fact, the port has reduced its carbon footprint by 55% since 2016 and is on target to reach 70% by 2040. Our environmental leadership strategy has short-term goals like tracking port-generated emissions and long-term aspirational goals like zero-emission ship docking and a 90% reduction of greenhouse gas pollution. Moreover, we are updating the Clean Air Strategy Plan that will formally identify specific actions to reduce emissions from maritime and associated transportation sources at our facilities.

In terms of equipment, Port Houston has continued to stay ahead of the curve by employing new environmental innovations. We’ve committed to purchasing diesel-electric hybrid RTG cranes emitting over 80% less emissions as compared to diesel-only counterparts. In addition, there are a total of nearly 30 electric ship-to-shore cranes across the various Port Houston terminals to reduce our emissions.

But the innovations don’t stop there. Soon Port Houston will be the first port in Texas to use an electric terminal tractor to move containers around Bayport and Barbours Cut terminals. We also recently purchased five new electric vehicles aimed at potentially overhauling our light-duty fleet over the next 10 or so years. Furthermore, we’ve purchased the first “waste shark” drone to help clean up to 350 pounds of litter daily in the Houston Ship Channel and gather data on the water quality.

For the continued concentration on environmental strategies, Port Houston was even a finalist in three categories at the 2020 G&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards. This is a true accomplishment and reflects the progress of Port Houston in its environmental leadership . Everyone at Port Houston is committed to acting now and moving the organization toward a future with increased sustainability and renewable electricity.

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Caption: Port Houston's new electric vehicles. 

This fleet will be used by several Port departments, and three cars will be pool vehicles for employees. Electric vehicles are powered by electricity and have large batteries instead of combustion engines, meaning there are no tailpipes for exhaust. They plug in to charge. Port Houston’s maintenance department installed the charging stations and ran the electrical lines underground at the Port’s facilities.

“Port Houston’s 100 percent asset-based renewable electricity contract makes these electric vehicles truly zero emissions,” said Kelli Gallagher, environmental compliance coordinator for Port Houston. The Port is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 18 metric tons per year by using the vehicles.

The Port is also expected to save more than $400 a year per car as electricity is much cheaper than fuel. Life cycle savings are estimated at seven cents per mile. The vehicles each have a 259-mile battery.

“Port Houston staffers are excited and proud to be using electric vehicles. These vehicles are clean, meaning they pollute less, but they are also more efficient than gasoline-fueled vehicles,” said Mike Gignac, manager of central maintenance for Port Houston.

This effort is one of many measures Port Houston is taking to proactively build on its stewardship and environmental leadership strategy. “Port Houston continues to make greener, environmentally-friendly approaches to our operations as we are committed to being an environmental leader,” said Trae Camble, director of environmental affairs for Port Houston.

Learn more about Port Houston’s environmental initiatives here: https://porthouston.com/environment/.

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