Green move: Kolkata Port plans to extend ‘Shore-to-Ship’ electricity supply facility
For reducing emission from ship engines: The facility presently exists at two tug jetties for port-owned vessels at Haldia Dock Complex;
After witnessing a record growth in cargo handling, the Syamaprasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata is now focusing on ‘green initiatives’ to curb pollution which includes the extension of the ‘Shore-to-Ship’ electricity supply facility to all the vessels of both Kidderpore Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC) by 2030.
The port has announced that it achieved an all-time record in cargo handling during 2022-23 where it handled 65.66 million metric tonnes (MMT). However, with this achievement from the commercial aspect, the risk of pollution from port operations also looms large. Being situated close to the city, the Kolkata Port has realised the need for curbing it.
According to the United Nations environment programme, “Ports are a significant source of global air pollution around coastal areas, exposing people to serious health and environmental impacts. Port emissions come from a wide range of sources - directly or indirectly related to port operations - including fuel-powered cargo handling equipment, ships, harbour craft, trucks, rail locomotives, port administration vehicles, power plants providing energy for port operations, etc.”
To reduce emissions from ship engines while it is docked at the port, the Kolkata Port has decided to gradually augment its capacity in providing shore-based electricity to vessels. A port official explained that when ships are docked at the port, it requires power to maintain their essential functions. This power is typically provided by the ship’s diesel-fuelled auxiliary engines. ‘Shore to Ship’ is the process of providing electrical power from the shore to a ship while it’s docked, thereby allowing a ship’s auxiliary engines to be turned off, causing the burning of diesel fuel to cease.
The ‘Shore to Ship’ facility presently exists at two tug jetties for port-owned vessels at Haldia Dock Complex. Port authorities said that one more berth is targeted to be equipped with this facility by 2023-24.
It is learnt that at Kidderpore Dock System (KDS), shore-based electricity is provided to port-owned vessels, and small coastal vessels in dry docks of KDS and Netaji Subhas Dock (NSD), and at the Indenture Memorial. A port official said that the facility will be extended for all kinds of vessels of both KDS and HDC by 2030. The port also intends to electrically operate all its cargo handling equipment, in phases, by 2030.
Additionally, the port will install a new 150KW solar plant in 2023-24. It plans to generate 2.25MWp at KPD-II by March 2024 for which a detailed project report is under preparation. CESC has agreed to the port’s proposal to purchase generated solar power from the solar PV plants.
To reuse wastewater, Kolkata Port will set up a modern sewage treatment plant (4MLD) in collaboration with IOC, costing Rs 14.5 crore, at Haldia Township by 2024-25.