Alternative Fuel Sources: Why Hydrogen and Low-Carbon are Back on the Table

Alternative Fuel Sources: Why Hydrogen and
Low-Carbon are Back on the Table

Alternative Fuel Sources: Why Hydrogen and Low-Carbon Solutions Are Back on the Table
Across ports, airports, and industrial hubs, sustainability goals are moving faster than the infrastructure built to support them. While electrification has become the centerpiece of many long-term climate strategies, a growing number of operators are confronting the same issue: the existing power grid cannot support a fully electric future on its own.

This was a major theme during the Power of the Ports panel, where WMG President Lauren Weinbaum joined leaders from across the industry to discuss what large-scale decarbonization looks like. The takeaway was clear: hydrogen and low-carbon fuel solutions are no longer theoretical. They are emerging as necessary complements to electrification, particularly in environments where energy demand is high, space is constrained, and there's no tolerance for downtime.

“There’s a big push to electrify, especially at ports,” Weinbaum said. “But the infrastructure just isn’t there yet. In my opinion, we should have looked at hydrogen before we looked to go fully electric.”

Why Electrification Alone Isn’t Enough
Ports like the Port of Los Angeles have made bold commitments to become fully electrified by 2035. These goals align with broader efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in surrounding communities. However, the pace of electrification is running into practical limits.

High-capacity electrification requires significant upgrades to substations, transmission lines, and local grid capacity, which can take years, if not decades, to permit and complete. Meanwhile, ports and airports run without interruptions, and their equipment needs reliable, steady power. For heavy-duty equipment, drayage trucks, ground support equipment, and backup power systems, electrification alone isn't enough.

Throughout the discussion, Weinbaum pointed to an everyday reality at ports and airports: reliability is non-negotiable, and energy systems must perform consistently under heavy, uninterrupted demand.

That reality is what has brought hydrogen and carbon-based strategies back into the discussion.

California’s Climate Goals and the Urgency to Act
California is pushing harder than almost any region in the world to reduce emissions. The state's target of carbon neutrality by 2045 places significant pressure on transportation and goods-movement sectors, especially those operating at ports and airports.

Ports and airports sit at the center of this challenge. They are among the region’s most significant contributors to emissions, yet they must remain fully operational to support the economy. As global population growth and industrial activity continue to rise, projections suggest that without intervention, global temperatures could increase by 3–6°C by mid-century. To stay within 1.5°C of warming, reductions need to happen faster than many existing systems can support.

This urgency has intensified the push for alternative fuel sources. While electrification remains essential, timelines for grid upgrades and renewable power generation often lag behind policy goals. That disconnect has forced agencies and operators to look beyond a single solution.

Hydrogen, particularly low-carbon or green hydrogen, is emerging as a potential bridge. It offers high energy density and works well with renewable energy systems make it a strong contender for applications where electrification may not be feasible. At the same time, hydrogen introduces complex questions around safety, sourcing, and long-term feasibility, questions California is now being forced to confront directly.

Large-scale initiatives such as the proposed Pier Wind terminal underscore this dual focus on urgency and scale. Designed to support offshore wind deployment while drawing on skilled local labor, projects like these illustrate how deeply climate goals are reshaping port infrastructure and long-term planning across the state.

Hydrogen’s Role and Its Real Constraints
Hydrogen has re-entered the energy conversation as ports and airports search for solutions where electrification alone falls short. Heavy-duty equipment, drayage trucks, ground support equipment, and backup power require energy density and flexibility that current battery systems can't always provide.

But the type of hydrogen matters.

Most hydrogen is produced using methane through steam methane reforming, a process that is cost-effective but carbon-intensive. Even blue hydrogen, which incorporates carbon capture, still relies on fossil fuels and introduces additional infrastructure and long-term storage challenges.

Green hydrogen, produced through electrolysis using renewable electricity, is widely viewed as the ideal solution. In practice, however, scaling it remains difficult.

“Most sites don’t have the electrical capacity or pipeline access needed for serious production or storage,” Weinbaum said. Those limitations have major implications for planning.

On top of production challenges, hydrogen storage requires significant space, safety setbacks, and specialized fire-life safety planning. These issues shaped much of the Power of the Ports discussion, and they are already influencing how permitting and design decisions are made.

Regulation Is Driving Momentum
Policy changes are accelerating the shift towards cleaner fuels. Regulations like IMO 2020, which reduced allowable sulfur in marine fuel, have already pushed operators low-sulfur fuel, scrubbers, LNG, and shore power. Shore power allows ships to plug into the grid while docked, and has helped reduce emissions at port, but it has also highlighted the limits of relying on electricity alone.

As operators plan ahead, hydrogen is increasingly viewed as another layer in a mixed energy strategy rather than a replacement for electrification.

Preparing for What Comes Next
For owners and contractors, preparation begins long before construction. Early engagement around permitting, fire code review, and utility coordination is essential. Hydrogen infrastructure introduces a more process-driven, industrial mindset that requires expertise in high-pressure systems, cryogenic equipment, controls, and advanced safety modeling.

Designing for flexibility is equally critical.

As Weinbaum noted, no one can say with certainty which fuels or technologies will ultimately dominate. Designing infrastructure with flexibility today allows owners to adapt over time without starting from scratch.

At WMG, participation in conversations like Power of the Ports reflects what we see on the ground every day: successful infrastructure planning balances ambition with realism.

Hydrogen and carbon-based solutions won’t replace electrification, but they may be essential to making decarbonization achievable at scale. The question is no longer whether hydrogen belongs in the conversation. It’s how thoughtfully and safely the industry integrates it into the systems that keep global trade and travel moving.

The transition is already underway. As alternative fuels move from conversation to implementation, how will today’s planning decisions shape the safety, flexibility, and resilience of our ports and airports for decades to come?