The Port of Long Beach is "aggressively pursuing the technologies of tomorrow and beyond" as part of its strategy to become the green port of the future.

During the annual 'State of the Port' address port executive director Dick Steinke told attendees that despite the impact of the global recession, Long Beach is on track "to meet or exceed its emission cap goals" by continuing to pursue environmentally friendly measures.

Steinke added that the port will invest up to $3 billion in improvement projects in the coming decade, which include a number of key environmental improvements.

Among those improvements is the ten year $750 million Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project which plans to reshape two container cargo terminals into one efficient environmentally green terminal.

Other goals of the port are that by 2014, 50% of container ships will be required to plug into shoreside power. This will increase to 80% by 2020.

"The reduction in pollution from plugging into shorepower is significant. Providing shoreside power to a cargo vessel for one day provides an air quality improvement that is equivalent to removing 33,000 cars from the road for that day, that is truly amazing," Steinke said.

He added that while the port has seen a number of new technologies during 2009 including the first vessel to be partially powered by solar and the world's first hybrid tug , the port is not content with using the best of today's technology, and will pursue technologies of the future.

"As we approach out 100th anniversary in 2011, we hope and we expect that we will have a lot to celebrate," said Steinke.

"We plan to be the port of the future, and will achieve this through designing and building the most cost effective and efficient green shipping terminals, upgrading our transportation infrastructure, and testing and implementing new green technologies," Steinke concluded.