Yesterday GE Vice Chairman John Rice and Transportation CEO Lorenzo Simonelli spoke at a press conference at the Port of Houston to support a marine and locomotive upgrade project that could achieve Tier 4 emissions standards years ahead of the compliance deadline as well as sustain and create well paying jobs.
“GE has been at the forefront of technology innovation for the past 130 years. We are proud to partner with the Port of Houston Authority and leaders in government to bring cleaner diesel technology to the Port of Houston and our communities across the United States. GE’s technology is poised to produce cleaner air and potentially thousands of U.S. jobs,” said Rice.
The project is led by the Port of Houston and includes several partners. GE Transportation would supply the advanced technology engines that would reduce emissions by up to 90% and save up to 10% in fuel compared to the older locomotives and workboats in operation today.
“GE is ready to deliver fuel-efficient, low-emissions diesel technology for rail and marine applications to meet the EPA’s stringent Tier 4 emission standards years ahead of schedule to the Port of Houston. The future is arriving early in Houston,” said Simonelli.
The emissions reduction level achieved by this project would comply with EPA Tier 4 standards – up to three years in advance of the 2015 compliance deadline for locomotives, and up to four years for the 2016 deadline for marine engines.
For every 100 of these new engines installed we could eliminate more than 2,300 tons of nitrous-oxide emissions each year – that's equivalent to taking more than 250,000 cars off the road.
For the same number of these new engines installed, the project also is estimated to create and sustain nearly 1,000 well paying engineering and manufacturing jobs and more than 3,500 indirect jobs.
