SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Jurong Port, an international shipping terminal for dry bulk and containerized cargo, is installing the largest port-based solar power system in the world.
Singapore, a key trading hub in the so-called “Silk Road at Sea,” is the second largest international shipping port in the world, according to the World Shipping Council.
About 5% of the world’s container traffic moves through Singapore every year. An estimated 17,000 vessels pass through the Jurong port every year. Each one them bring pollution along with its cargo. With ships allowed to burn fuel with much higher sulfur levels than permitted in on-road diesel, one container ship emits as much diesel pollution as 500,000 new trucks in a single day, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The ports located in Singapore have the highest emission levels due to shipping of any ports in the world, according to the International Transport Forum.
The Jurong Port includes warehouse facilities and one of the world’s largest cement terminals in an area that covers about 174,000 square meters. The new solar power installation will be deployed on 95,000 square meters of warehouse roof space, which is roughly equivalent to the size of about 13 football fields. The solar system will have a nameplate capacity of about 10 megawatts.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is rolling out a slate of stringent air pollution control standards for ports and oceangoing vessels. The IMO has also designated four regions as Emission Control Areas (ECAs). Starting in 2016, shipping vessels will only be allowed to enter ECAs if they have met an especially stringent standard for air emissions standards.
The new emissions standards coming down the pike for the global shipping industry is catalyzing new investment in clean energy at ports. The outlook for port-based solar power is likely to bright, especially in Singapore.
The Jurong Port said it would spent more than $22 million on the solar installation. The solar system is projected to be operational before the end of 2015.
