Despite the Trump administration’s cancellations of offshore wind and hydrogen fuel projects and its success pausing implementation of United Nation’s greenhouse gas reductions for shipping, Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach says the Port will persevere in pursuing green energy transitions.

In an interview [see video for full interview coverage] with AJOT, Hacegaba made the following observations.

Dr. Noel Hacegaba, Chief Operating Officer, Port of Long Beach

IMO Regulation Pause

On pausing the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization regulations for shipping to reduce greenhouse gases Hacegaba says, “There's no doubt that a global framework would help the shipping industry accelerate progress towards decarbonization. As that's on hold for now. The Port of Long Beach will continue to carry forward with our green shipping corridors in collaboration with the ports of Shanghai, Singapore and Los Angeles, with C40 cities and all of our industry partners to achieve low and zero carbon shipping.”

Green Bunkering 

The possibility of developing green methanol bunkering for ships at the Port of Long Beach, Hacegaba notes, “As part of our green shipping corridor project with the Port of Shanghai, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles released an RFI request for information for methanol bunkering.”

Hydrogen Subsidies

While on the Trump administration’s cancellation of hydrogen fuel subsidies, “We just released in the last month an RFP for a potential hydrogen fueling station. And that's also an initiative that we're carrying forward to explore the market and potential partnerships with the private sector on how we can bring green hydrogen to our Port.”

Offshore Wind

Adding on the Trump administration’s cancellation of offshore wind projects and the impact to the Port’s proposed ‘Pier Wind’ offshore wind port, “We think that offshore wind is a piece in that broader puzzle that can help get us to energy security. Thanks to the California Energy Commission, the Port of Long Beach received a $20 million grant to help with the design and the community engagement, some of the early phase steps in developing a project of this magnitude. Energy security is a priority for this administration. It's a priority for us.”

Zero Emmision Trucks

On process of transitioning to zero emission trucks Hacegaba said, “And we will continue to do everything that we can here in Long Beach to lead on this issue and accelerate the transition to these zero emissions trucks. For example, there are now over 100 truck charging stations that are publicly available inside the Port today.”

Union Pacific / Norfolk Southern Rail Merger

Hacegaba commented that on the projected impact of the Union Pacific/Norfolk Southern rail merger, “I think that anything that minimizes barriers, that reduces speed to market, that reduces delays, anything that can help keep cargo flowing efficiently, without disruption, without interruption, could be a good thing for the supply chain.”

Agricultural Exports

On prospects for renewed agricultural exports with China, Hacegaba outlined the deal’s potential commenting that “Under the trade agreement that was reached a couple weeks ago, China committed to purchasing at least 12 million metric tons of US soybeans this year. And that would be followed by 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually from 2026 through 2028. I think there's great potential for the following couple of years. I think that gives our farmers some certainty about how much product they're going to have to grow in order to meet the demand of this reemerging market.”

Long Beach Volume

Hacegaba in reflecting on Long Beach’s port volumes said, “From January through October, we're still about 4 percentage points ahead of last year, which means that we're still on a record pace. We think November and December obviously will slow down as they typically do this time of year. And this is why we're optimistic that we're going to close out 2025 either on par or just above 2024, which would put us on another record-breaking year.”

Pier B On-Dock Rail Project

Udating the work being done on the Pier B on-dock rail project, he noted, “Construction of this project is proceeding swiftly and it's on track to be completed by the scheduled date in 2032. Once completed, this project will dramatically enhance the efficiency and sustainability of cargo flow at the Port of Long Beach. And it will also enable us in all of our terminals to increase our current on-dock rail utilization by 50%. Next year we plan to add six new locomotive tracks and we're on track to double the capacity of the yard by 2028.”

International Transportation Service Terminal

Hacegaba also said of the work going on at International Transportation Service terminal, “In July, International Transportation Service broke ground on its new terminal expansion aimed at developing more space to stack cargo containers. This $365 million investment will provide it with an additional 19 acres of space and a contiguous 3,400-foot-long wharf that will enable this terminal to service … the industry's largest container vessels. Simultaneously, this project strengthens the nation's supply chain by investing infrastructure in the right way using local labor and US made materials.”