US Clean Shipping Act
US mandates shore power by 2030 and requires all vessels to be zero emission by 2040
US Clean Shipping Act aims to reduce carbon intensity of the fuel used by ships to 0% in 2040. Carbon intensity means the quantity of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions per unit generated energy, expressed in grams of CO2-equivalent per megajoule.
For ships from 2027 onwards ships must decrease their carbon intensity from their baseline. The carbon intensity baseline means the average carbon intensity of the fuel used by all vessels on covered voyages in calendar year 2024. Vessels on a covered voyage must comply with standards for the carbon intensity of the fuel used by such vessel so that such carbon intensity is:
“in each of calendar years 2027 through 2029, at least 20 percent less than the carbon intensity baseline;
“in each of calendar years 2030 through 2034, at least 45 percent less than the carbon intensity baseline;
“in each of calendar years 2035 through 2039, at least 80 percent less than the carbon intensity baseline; and
“in calendar year 2040 and each calendar year thereafter, 100 percent less than the carbon intensity baseline.
From 2030 onwards all ships at berth or at anchor in US ports would be required to emit zero greenhouse gas emissions and zero air pollutant emissions. Therefore, ships are required to use shore power while at berth.