Energy Shift Renewables Integration at Major Ports: A Step Forward to Solve Air Pollution

Today’s industrialized world requires more power generation that can be produced by renewable distributed energy resources (DERs) to minimize air pollution. Major DERs integrated into the grid today include solar farms, windmill farms, and biogas. Common DERs (energy shift renewables) providing power inside major ports include hydrogen (H₂) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The authors are working with the Port of Long Beach (POLB), CA, USA, which has implemented H₂ and LNG. During fault conditions, the grid faces the challenge of applying fast fault clearing protection relay schemes capable of providing secure control and communication signals to avoid tripping the power supply to large customers, such as ports. This article introduces the current state of networked controllers called microgrid controllers. Such controllers can provide fast control and communication signals to nearby grid substations and 24/7 control centers to manage power outages. Without these controllers, power outages can affect a port’s service continuity, affecting the port’s cold-ironing operations (CIOs). The article includes types of studies required by a port to work with a utility for a smooth energy shift to renewable integration for the mutual benefit of the utility and the port. This shift will contribute to meeting the net-zero air pollution goal by 2050.