WASHINGTON: V.O.Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin has become the first Indian Port to provide shore power facility to vessels at berth. The facilities at VOC-II and VOC-III were inaugurated on Tuesday by Rajive Kumar, Secretary (Shipping) in the presence of S. Anantha Chandra Bose, Chairman, V.O.C Port Trust.
According to a statement from the VOC Port on Thursday, the shore power or shore supply facility provides a plug and play power solution to the vessels by eliminating the compulsion of operating diesel generators and also helps to eliminate carbon emission at the Port. This would help reduce about six tonnes of carbon emission in a day and 1,500 tonnes of carbon emission in a year, which is five percent of the total CO2 emission at the Port. The Indian grid delivers power at a frequency of 50 Hz. So ships, most of which adhere to European standards of 60 Hz, have to depend on onboard diesel generators for power. This new facility would also benefit the Port users as they could save about Rs.74,000 per day by way of fuel. This facility was in line with the ‘Project Green Ports’ initiative by the Ministry of Shipping.
The state-of-the-art facility was provided at this Port through ABB India at a cost of Rs.1.5 crore. Martin B. Conag, Chief Engineer of M.V. Pac Seginus, one of the first vessels to avail the shore power at this Port, congratulated the Port authorities for extending such facility in the interest of Port users and the environment. The same facility would also be extended to all berths of the Port, the statement added.
