The deal between SSA Marine and the port is the largest venture of its kind, Cantwell’s office said. It will also represent the highest concentration of biofuel used in a single place in the United States, her office said in a news release.

Seattle Biodiesel will provide the biodiesel to the Port and SSA Marine. The company, which opened a 5-million-gallon-a-year refinery in South Seattle in March, will soon announce plans for a bigger refinery somewhere in the Puget Sound region to meet future demand.

In separate port news, the ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai executed two reciprocal environmental agreements—a Friendship Port Agreement and Letter of Intent for Collaboration on Air Quality Issues—as part of a mutual accord to cooperate on air quality (earlier post).

Citing the progression of shared environmental programs and mutually beneficial maritime business, the Friendship Port Agreement also calls for environmental betterments toward commercial waterfront development. The Letter of Intent explores the technical side of urban air pollution management, solidifying the ports’ existing Green Port Memorandum of Understanding, dated November 25, 2002.

During a series of meeting in China, representatives from both ports presented overviews on their respective port’s environmental programs. The Port of Los Angeles’ briefing centered on its Clean Air Program, with an emphasis on Alternative Maritime Power (AMP), ship-related emission reduction strategies and emissions inventory methods, while Port of Shanghai’s focused on general environmental initiatives, including emission testing and air monitoring.

Representatives proposed establishing a Pacific Ports Air Quality Work Collaborative, chartered by the ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai, with participation from other major Asian ports. The new working group would take the lead on international air quality issues, initially focusing on emission inventory methods, oceangoing vessel emissions and cleaner fuels.

The ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai will collaborate to develop an Air Emissions Inventory Report for Shanghai, similar to the Port-wide Baseline Air Emissions Inventory released by the Port of Los Angeles in July 2005.