The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) is in talks with the World Bank for funding a ₹500 crore shore-electric-power-supply project, that will enable container vessels calling at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port near Mumbai to switch off their polluting diesel engines and plug-in to an onshore power grid for the ship’s electricity needs.
JNPA had recently drawn up a comprehensive plan to set up shore-electric-power-supply projects at all its five terminals. “We have already appointed ITCOT Ltd (a deemed government company) as a consultant a week back. They will design the tender for the first shore power project at a terminal belonging to Gateway Terminals India (GTI),” Unmesh Wagh, chairperson, JNPA, told businessline. The tender for the first such project worth close to ₹100 crore at the port will be floated by July 15 and the work order is expected to be issued by August 15.
Gateway Terminals India (GTI) is a joint venture between APM Terminals and the Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR). “This will make one berth (shore-power) compliant within one year and meanwhile we plan to make other terminals compliant which will entail an additional expenditure of ₹400 crore. Once we receive the clearance from the Union Ministry for shipping and ports, we will go for the other terminals. This will make JNPA the first shore power compliant port in Asia,” Wagh added.
“We are currently talking to the World Bank. They are keen to fund the entire project for a period of seven years. We are expected to get the funds at a lower rate (of interest),” he added.
Apart from the terminal operated by GTI, the project will be extended to four other container terminals at the port including Nhava Sheva Free Port Terminals, Nhava Sheva International Container Terminal, Bharat Mumbai Container Terminal and NhavaSheva (India) Gateway Terminal.
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.These engines make noise and emit particulate matter like Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide. Shore Power provides such vessels with clean electricity from the grid.
Once the shore power project is extended to all five terminals, JNPA will require an estimated 74 MW (Megawatt) of electricity for powering the ships that moored at its docks.