The US Port of Oakland has committed to a strategy of growth with care in its new five-year strategic plan which will balance business expansion with community benefits.
Named “Growth with Care,” the plan envisions more jobs and economic stimulus as the port grows in future.
“We can grow, but we want our neighbours to grow with us,” said Chris Lytle, executive director, Port of Oakland. “We must conduct ourselves in the public interest for the public good.”
Expansion blueprint
A centre piece of the strategic plan will be curbing diesel emissions, Mr Lytle said.
According to port data, truck emissions are already down 98% since 2009 while vessel emissions have declined 76%. The strategic plan commits the port to an overall reduction of 85% by 2020.
Mr Lytle said that the new plan would serve as a blueprint for expansion into the next decade.
Key elements of the plan include an emphasis on sustainability to minimise the environmental impact of growth, large capital investments on major projects and projections for record business volumes over five years.
According to the strategic plan, Oakland cargo volume should reach 2.6 million 20-foot containers by 2022, an all-time high for the port.
This should lead to more jobs for which the port said local residents will be prioritised.
The strategic plan calls for 8% more containerised cargo volume in Oakland by 2022.
Growth will be achieved from two capital projects at the seaport. The first is a 283,000-square-foot refrigerated distribution centre called Cool Port Oakland that opens this summer. Another 440,000-square-foot distribution centre is also in the pipeline.
source: GreenPort
