JNPA to pump in ₹100 crore to set up shore-power for ships; India’s first, says chairman

To eliminate the use of diesel for powering ships that berth at its port, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) will be investing close to ₹100 crore for setting up India’s first pilot project for shore-electric-power-supply.

“On a pilot basis, we plan to provide shore electric power supply to ships that berth at one of our terminals at Jawaharlal Nehru Port. This will be the first such project in India,” Unmesh Wagh, chairperson, JNPA told business line in Mumbai.

This pilot project is scheduled to be executed at the third container terminal of Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Maharashtra. This terminal belongs to Gateway Terminals India which is a joint venture between APM Terminals and the Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR). 

• Also read: Vadhavan port: A vital, timely addition

In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with all stakeholders on July 11. While at berth, ships usually use some base load electricity for operating essential services like hoteling, unloading and loading activities.

While at port, the ships use their own diesel engines to produce electricity. For instance a mid-sized tanker needs 400 Kw (excluding power needed for cargo operations and ballast operations). Such a tanker would need 12 MwH of electricity all of which is being generated through the diesel engines of the ship at berth.

“This facility will help power two ships simultaneously. It will help us eliminate the use of diesel at our ports” he said, adding that the JNPA already uses shore electric power for its tugs when they remain berthed.

‘We will award the tenders for this pilot project in the next three months,” Wagh said. JNPA plans to expand this facility to all the terminals if the pilot project is successful. “If we extend this facility across all our terminals then we will need a total of 74 MW (Megawatt). We will need approximately ₹600 crore to cover the entire port,” he added. The shore power will be provided from the national grid to visiting ships at the port.

Between April-November 2023, over 15200 ships visited the 12 major ports in India including Jawaharlal Nehru Port. These ships had an average turn around time of 48.46 hours or little over 2 days and a shift to shore power is expected to help cut down on usage of diesel and the pollution caused by it. 

JNPA is already working towards eliminating diesel vehicles from plying inside the port premises. “By August 15, we will have two battery operated trucks in operation. Within the next one year, all 400 diesel trucks operating between the shore and the yard will be converted to electric. This will ensure that all vehicles operating inside the port are electric,” the JNPA chairman added.

• Also read: Port &Dock workers plan hunger strike on July 25,26