Page 16: of Marine News Magazine (November 2025)

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Fuel Transition

PERC

At Ports, Propane Powers More than Vehicles

By Jim Bunsey, Propane Education & Research Council

But terminal tractors and forklifts are just one piece of the

Energy reliability is critical at ports, and while propane power has traditionally been associated puzzle for ports trying to decarbonize and lower costs while with equipment like forklifts and terminal tractors, its role maintaining performance and uptime. This is where pro- at ports is rapidly expanding into new areas. From electric pane’s versatility comes into its own. Propane-powered infra- structure is scalable, relatively low-cost, and capable of serving vehicle (EV) charging to full-scale microgrids to shore pow- er for docked vessels, propane-powered infrastructure helps as both a primary and backup power in various applications.

a wide variety of port operations stay resilient and ef? cient.

Off-Grid, On-Demand EV Charging and More

For ? eets moving to electric equipment, EV charging

Power Beyond Forklifts and Terminal Tractors

Propane has been a trusted fuel for port equipment for can be powered in part by propane to help ports transition decades, and with good reason. Known for its clean and away from their diesel terminal tractor ? eets faster and at a lower cost. Most traditional electric grid charging infra- reliable performance, propane has a long-standing reputa- tion as an effective alternative to diesel in terminal tractors, structure often requires utility coordination, transformer upgrades, trenching, permitting, and more. Propane-pow- forklifts, and other material handling vehicles. These pro- pane-powered engines emit signi? cantly fewer greenhouse ered EV charging stations are more ? exible, modular, and gases and particulate matter than their diesel counterparts. faster to deploy.

Many propane-powered chargers can be installed in a

Today’s ultra-low nitrogen oxides (NOx) propane engines matter of weeks, and oftentimes your propane supplier will are 90 percent cleaner than EPA standards, moving the in- absorb most of the installation costs in return for an an- dustry closer to achieving near-zero emissions.

nual or long-term fuel contract. Faster infrastructure de- ployment means faster electric vehicle deployment, even if just temporarily while additional infrastructure is installed or during a pilot program. The main way propane is used beyond vehicles and equipment is through microgrids – mobile, off-grid power systems that can be powered by al- ternative energy sources. With the abundance of propane in the U.S., microgrids are an easy, powerful, and versatile solution to charge electric vehicles and equipment.

Microgrids come in various sizes and trailer lengths, typi- cally from 15 to 53 feet. A trailer containing a propane tank (or tanks, depending on the size) and a generator are placed in the most convenient location on a property. Conduit is routed from the trailer to a bank of charging stations. EVs are then quickly and easily connected to the charging sta- tions, recharged, and put back to work around the terminal.

16 | MN November 2025