New solar energy installation at the East Coasts largest seaport is complete

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT) and the city of Newark today announced the completion of a 7.2 megawatt (MW) solar installation at PNCT. The solar installation now generates 50 percent of the terminal’s annual energy needs, greatly reducing emissions and improving air quality. In addition to generating power for terminal operations, the system has the ability to feed excess power into the regional utility grid, providing clean energy to the city of Newark and nearby areas.

PNCT is one of the world’s only container terminals to implement in-terminal renewable energy production of this magnitude, a significant component of PNCT’s broader strategic initiative to develop an energy microgrid operating at net-zero emissions. It also aligns with the Port Authority’s industry-leading net-zero goals. The agency has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and to facilitating its tenants and operating partners in reaching the same goal in the same timeframe.

“This project is a win for Newark residents, a win for the environment, and a win for our seaport,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole. “By working hand-in-hand with PNCT and the city of Newark, our seaport is now home to a large solar energy project capable of generating significant energy for one of its major container terminals while feeding excess power into the local grid. It’s an extraordinary model of how we can work together for the betterment not just of our own facilities, but for the communities we serve as well.”

“PNCT’s impressive solar installation marks a major step forward in the Port of New York and New Jersey’s steadfast transition to cleaner, more sustainable operations,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “This project offers clear evidence that the Port Authority and its partners are committed to aggressively advancing our ambitious sustainability measures as cargo volumes continue to grow at the East Coast’s busiest port.”

“The city of Newark and PNCT have long appreciated our interdependence and shared history. What affects one affects the other, and we have worked together to solve challenges across every aspect of city life,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “Today we celebrate an astounding success with this micro-grid that improves our environment, health and economy, increases our sustainable energy resources, and puts us at the pinnacle of yet another global solution. All of Newark is grateful for PNCT’s responsible leadership and innovation.”

“PNCT and Mayor Baraka, working together with the Port Authority, have been relentless in partnering for responsible expansion of the port to meet the shipping needs of our growing regional and national economy, without sacrificing the health and well-being of our neighbors,” said Jim Pelliccio, president and CEO of Port Newark Container Terminal. “Our investments in sustainability have set the groundwork for an ambitious vision to transform the future of Port Newark — setting unparalleled standards for efficiency, environmental responsibility and economic prosperity.”

The system generates a significant amount of solar energy from 7.8 acres of elevated solar panel canopies that altogether occupy just 1,500 square feet, or about 0.04 acres, of ground space. It generates 3.8 megawatts from five elevated canopy-mounted solar arrays on top of multiple truck lanes, along with an additional 3.4 megawatts from canopies over parking areas and rooftop arrays. In a space-constrained environment, this innovative dual-use design enables robust solar generation without sacrificing land for terminal operations.

The system was designed, constructed and implemented without any interruption to terminal operations. The project was the recipient of the Solar Builder Project of the Year Editor’s Choice award for its ingenuity in navigating complex construction conditions without disrupting daily operations at the terminal.

PNCT maintains a dashboard monitoring the system’s real-time energy generation. Since the first phase of the project became operational in 2023, the energy generated has marked the equivalent of removing 5,801 metric tons of CO₂ from the air, the equivalent of planting more than 150,000 trees.

The industry-leading solar project is the foundation of a long-term strategy for growth and environmental stewardship envisioned by PNCT, in partnership with Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the Port Authority. Clean energy is also a core piece of the Port Authority’s wide-ranging, ambitious sustainability agenda across its facilities, including the East Coast’s busiest seaport. Through its comprehensive net-zero roadmap, the Port Authority has committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and to facilitating its tenants and operating partners in achieving the same goal in the same timeframe. At the Port of New York and New Jersey, those efforts have included:

• The Truck Replacement Program, offering financial incentives to truck companies to replace older, dirtier engine models with newer, cleaner models
• The Clean Vessel Incentive, using financial incentives to ocean carriers that voluntarily slow steam near the port to reduce air emissions and encourage fuel conservation
• The agency’s marine terminal rules and regulations, which requires terminal operators to transition to zero-emission cargo handling equipment as the equipment becomes commercially available, intended to foster market demand and spur industry innovation
• The buildout of the seaport’s on-dock ExpressRail system, enabling goods to reach the Midwest, New England, and eastern Canada more sustainably than via truck

The Port of New York and New Jersey reported significant progress toward its emissions goals in its latest air emissions inventory, including a reduction in sulfur dioxides (SO2) by 98 percent as well as reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter by over 70 percent from baseline 2006 levels, all while cargo volume increased nearly 60 percent.

As part of its transition to clean energy over the past 13 years, spurred by a lease agreement reached with the Port Authority in 2011, PNCT has instituted numerous clean energy initiatives within its terminal. Those include the conversion of all terminal lighting to LED fixtures, as well as the implementation of hybrid straddle carriers, energy-efficient electric cranes and propane-powered terminal tractors.

Propane powered terminal tractors, known as near-zero emission liquid propane gas (LPG) yard tractors, have had a direct effect on reducing ozone concentrations as well as diesel particulate matter in adjacent communities. It has reduced carbon emissions and particulate matter by 99 percent, significantly reducing carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).