Coal news and updates

Vizag Port to run fully on solar power from April

Visakhapatnam Port is likely to become the first port in the country that would start running its entire operation on solar power from April this year, the port’s Deputy Chairman, P L Haranadh, told ICMW.

The port expects to complete construction of 10 MW solar power plants in two phases within March 2016 and commission the plants from April.

The Ministry of Shipping has invested Rs 57 crore in this project, he said.

Haranadh informed that this project is being executed under the supervision of the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The 10-MW project would be divided into two parts. The initial 2.5 MW is expected to be completed within this month (February) and the balance 7.5 MW by March-end.

The deputy chairman of VPT said: “By making the entire port operational on solar power, VPT would emerge as the first major port in the nation to do so.”

This would benefit the port on two fronts. First, this would produce 15 million unit (MU), out of which 5 MW could be sold to the state electricity grid after consuming its own demand of 10 MU, he said.

Secondly, this would be financially beneficial for the port as well. At present, VPT buys power at Rs 5.9 per unit but the solar power would cost Rs 4 per unit.

“So there would be huge amount of saving in terms of expenditure on power for the port, even if sale of surplus power is not considered,” Haranadh said.

Even location-wise solar power would be beneficial for VPT. Haranadh informed that the port has 50 acres of land adjacent to the airport which could not haveg any permanent structure owing to its proximity to the airport. Now this vacant land is being utilised for installing the solar panels.

Experts point out that, on average, four acres would be needed to produce 1 MW of solar power. So there would be scope for generating nearly 13 MW solar power on that port land.

It is to be noted that the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) has undertaken an initiative to implement utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plant projects at various major ports across the country. SECI has been appointed as the overall project management consultant for these projects.

An MoU has been signed in this regard between SECI and the Indian Ports Association (IPA), on behalf of the individual port trusts, to implement the solar energy projects. In addition, installation of rooftop solar power projects at various ports is also being undertaken and the related process has been started.