A new solar power project at the Port of Los Angeles hopes to partially offset the electricity used by ships plugging into shoreside power.

"As we continue to plug more ships into electric power and test electric applications of drayage trucks, hostlers and other cargo-handling assets, our air will be cleaner but our electricity consumption will grow,” said Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz.

The new project will see 71,500-square-feet of solar panels on the port's World Cruise Center rooftop. The panels are expected to generate one megawatt of electricity.

“This initiative will help offset that power consumption, ultimately providing a power supply that is equivalent to the electricity consumption of roughly 2,500 homes,”  Knatz added.

The initiative is reported to be the largest solar power project undertaken by any single city in the world, and is one of a number of 'green' initiatives by the port.

In 2006, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles adopted the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) to curb port-related air pollution from trucks, ships, locomotives and other equipment by at least 45% in five years.

Ships visiting Los Angeles can currently cold iron at the West Basin Container Terminal at Berth 100. Last year the port announced that cold ironing would be added to Berth 97-109 China Shipping Container Line terminal to allow ships of up to 10,000 TEUs to plug in.

Targets for the number of ships using the terminal to plug in to shore power will be 90% of vessels starting in January 2010 and 100% in 2011.