Page 21 - Port of Baltimore March April 2013

To subscribe or renew, visitwww.marylandports.com March/April 2013 ■ The Port of Baltimore [19]
Top: Volunteers have helped bring Masonville Cove back to life as a public
nature area near the Port. Above: Solar panels are part of a $27 million energy
performance contract that impacts Shed 10 at the South Locust Point Marine
Terminal, the MPA’s Cruise Maryland Terminal and Baltimore’s World Trade Center.
turn well-used land into an environmental
opportunity, Cox Creek is the site of a
dredged materials containment facility that
adjoins the Swan Creek wetland. Once a
tidal wetland, the mouth of the creek had
filled in and was no longer tidal. The MPA
re-created the original wetlands and
restored the creek’s flow, creating a
wildlife habitat favored by bird-watchers.
The plethora of bird and fish species that
returned made it one of the most successful
restorations of its kind. In October, the MPA
hosted an open house, giving visitors a
chance to tour the site and learn about the
dredging process.
Solar panels on the MPA Cruise
Maryland Terminal give a sunny outlook for
reducing energy usage. The 750-kilowatt,
high-efficiency photovoltaic system
produces 379,518 kilowatt hours a year — or
about $37,952 worth of electricity. They are
part of a $27 million energy performance
contract that includes a Geothermal Harbor
Heat Sink to help cool the World Trade
Center and more efficient lighting in the
MPA’s offices there. Solar panels also were
installed on Shed 10 at the South Locust
Point Marine Terminal.
COURTESY OF MPA
COURTESY OF MPA