Beginning in February 2022, seven pieces of machinery at the Port of Los Angeles — including a crane, machines that offload containers, and trucks — will be powered by hydrogen. Those hydrogen fuel cells will receive energy derived from animal waste, more specifically, cow manure, reported Yuki Fukumoto in an article published by NikkeiAsia.

The four-year test is scheduled to run through March 2026. Kevin Abernathy, general manager for the Milk Producers Council, shared that Maas Energy Works will be the dairy biogas supplier for the innovative project. That California-based group will be supplying biomethane and it’s part of the much larger climate-smart farming footprint initiative intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. When it comes to the Port of Los Angeles, North America’s largest shipping port has the goal to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions from equipment use by 2035, reported Fukumoto.

The pilot project involves checking the durability of the equipment and the efficiency of the hydrogen fueling, reported the Japanese media outlet. Overall, the Port of Los Angeles operates over 1,000 pieces of equipment.