February 16, 2007

Los Angeles Ports Issues RFP for LNG Trucks

The nation’s two leading containerports, San Pedro Bay ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, have issued a joint Request for Proposals (PDF) for a new liquefied natural gas truck program. The effort is a component of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan approved last November. A LNG-powered truck fleet could reduce particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen by 80 to 90 percent.

Financial incentives through this Program will fund up to a maximum of $144,000 per truck. The Program is open to fleets of any size, including independent operators.

Proposals will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on March 19, 2007, and an applicant workshop will be held February 20, 2007.

Under the LNG truck program, heavy-duty diesel trucks older than 1989 would be scrapped and replaced with a 2006 model year, or newer, heavy-duty LNG truck. The Ports have allocated a total of $8 million each to the project, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District has allocated $6 million, for a total of $22 million.

All vehicles funded under the LNG truck program are required to have electronic monitoring units with global positioning system capability installed prior to delivery of the vehicle, and verification must be provided to the Port of Los Angeles prior to releasing the vehicle. The minimum requirements to receive the maximum award under the Program include 48,000 annual miles with at least 75 percent of these miles occurring within the South Coast Air Quality Basin, and trucks must make at least seven trips to the Ports per week. Contract term will be a minimum of three years.

This RFP does not cover the costs for fuel, maintenance, infrastructure, or consultant services. Specifics on the gross vehicle weight rating, engine parameters, tilting, maintenance, insurance, electronic monitoring unit, warranty and vehicle scrapping are found in the RFP.

Applicants are required to secure their own fueling through construction of a fueling station on fleet property or through an agreement with an independent mobile fuel provider. A related RFP is currently being issued by the Ports seeking construction of a centralized LNG fueling and maintenance facility; however, this facility will not be in place before the operation of the LNG truck program begins.

More info here.

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