Repower to Reduce Emissions.
The Port of Portland Navigation Division owns and operates the cutter suction dredge Oregon that works between Astoria and Portland to ensure a safe and operable transit route for ships. Dredging operations run around the clock, typically for seven months of the year. The Oregon was using about 4,200 gallons of diesel fuel per day to dredge about 2,000 – 3,000 cubic yards of material per hour. With its 1960s-era engine, the Oregon was the Port’s single largest source of diesel particulate emissions and a significant source of carbon dioxide. Considering the Port’s goal of reducing the carbon emissions of all its operations and the costs of maintaining and operating this vintage engine, in 2010 the Port hired Glosten to develop a comprehensive design package for repowering and refitting the dredge with modern equipment.