POWERGRAMS

CUSTOMER SERVICE Switch to Significant Savings Drastically reducing emissions and at the same time saving thousands of dollars by using electric power to operate its refrigerated trucks was a "no brainer" for APM Terminals Mobile. Located at the Alabama State Port Authority, APM Terminals recently began using electricity, instead of diesel fuel, to refrigerate cargo until it can be shipped to its next destination. APM Terminals is part of one of the world's largest international terminal companies and provides container services and cargo support. "We believe we have an obligation to the community to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and we recognized the diesel generators we used for refrigerating cargo were burning CO2," said Brian Harold, director of APM Terminals Mobile. "We also saw a significant savings when we looked at the cost per kilowatthour of running refrigerated containers using electricity versus diesel fuel." Because the volume of cargo, particularly poultry, exported from Mobile's port has increased, APM Terminals recently expanded its facilities. To accommodate this growth, the company installed last winter 152 electric refrigerated plugs used for powering the container trailers filled with that cargo. The switch to electric means an additional 4 megawatts of connected load for Alabama Power, making the project a "win-win" for both companies, said Rudd Schultze. "The plugs will require less maintenance, save money and cut greenhouse gases – all of which will be beneficial for APM Terminals," said Schultze, Mobile Division Marketing supervisor and Alabama Power's account manager for APM Terminals. "And it will be all competitive load for us, which means we are actually getting rid of a nonelectric fuel and adding more electricity to our grid." The electric plugs were also a good investment because the payback for installing them is three to four years, Harold said. Schultze and Electric Transportation Market Specialist Cedric Daniels have partnered with APM Terminals every step along the way, providing advice and information as needed and answering the company's questions during the transition to electric power. As part of this effort, Mobile Division engineers 4 Photo by Dan Anderson State port business lowers costs, emissions with electric APM Terminals Assistant Manager of Maintenance Brian Doyle, left, with Schultze and APM Terminals General Manager of Operations Wendy Robertson. and line crews added several sectionalizers to the distribution system serving APM Terminals to improve reliability. For more than 12 years, Daniels has worked to present electric options to the Alabama State Port Authority and companies that operate on its property. "This project is a continuation of our efforts to help the port authority and its tenants understand that electricity can power most things they do within their operations," Daniels said. "The more successes these customers have while using electricity, the more they may consider electrifying other areas within their business." APM Terminals Mobile plans to continue bringing electric power into its operations. The company uses electric ship-to-shore cranes and will install more electric refrigerated plugs as the volume of cargo grows, said Harold. "Alabama Power has been instrumental in the success of our operations," he said. "They have been very open in listening to us in terms of the types of infrastructure we need. Any time we have issues, Alabama Power has been very responsive and helpful in responding to those issues and working to resolve them." By Carla Davis

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