Major ports in India go green with solar and wind energy setups

India’s shipping ministry on Thursday announced its keenness to promote renewable energy by installing solar and wind power systems at all major ports in the country. In a statement issued here the Ministry of Shipping said it aims to set up 90.64 MW of solar energy capacity at twelve major ports. It also said 70 MW of wind energy capacity will be set up at Kandla, V.O.Chidambaranar Port and Kamarajar ports. The ports have started the process of setting up the renewable energy projects using their profits. The total financial implications of the solar projects will be Rs 407.7 crore, the statement added. A total of 6.94 MW of solar projects have already been commissioned with Visakhapatnam port leading the way with 6.25 MW. The other ports in which solar projects have been commissioned are Kolkata Port, New Mangalore Port, V.O. Chidambaranar Port and Mumbai Port. The remaining solar power projects will be commissioned phase wise and are expected to be completed by 2017. These projects are a part of the Green Port initiative launched by the ministry. “These renewable energy projects will help in the reduction of carbon emission and will lead to improvement of the environment around the ports. These projects will also help to reduce cost of power purchased by utilisation of renewable energy for power generation,” the statement added. IANS