KOCHI: The green initiative of the Cochin Port Trust is turning out to be a great success.The Port Trust is all set to expand the ‘Onshore Power Supply’, a project launched by the port management in compliance with the guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to all parts of the port.Under the Onshore Power Supply project, the ships berthed at the port will be provided electricity from the shore till they leave.During the period, the engine of the vessel will be turned off to reduce diesel consumption.Turning off the engine at least during the berthing time can help reduce air pollution to a great extent.“We have to depend on generator till the LNG terminal is ready.Once the terminal is ready, we can provide electricity at cheap rates.Now, the electrical division has decided to provide the facility on Q3 and Q4 berths of Ernakulam wharf and at the berth for Lakshadweep vessels on Mattanchery wharf,” said Cochin Port Trust traffic manager C Unnikrishnan.As an initial step, power was supplied to cruise vessel Amet Majesty on January 15.Amet Majesty operates with Cochin as its home port.“The shipping company has informed us that it could save `60,000 a day by using the power supplied from shore,” Unnikrishnan said.When a ship is berthed at the port, it needs power for various purposes, including for the air-conditioning system and operations of various equipment such as cranes and lifts.Unlike the Naval vessels, commercial ships usually do not have a longer stay at ports and they work on the power generated internally through diesel-powered generators (auxiliary engines).The estimated number of merchant vessels across the globe comes to around 50,000 and they use 411,223,484 tonnes of fuel annually.Studies show that a single ship can produce emissions equivalent to that of 50 million cars annually.Besides this, ships are not subjected to emissions control.This has prompted the IMO to carry out research on using cheaper forms of fuel to run diesel-powered ships.However, the facility will be provided at the International Container Transshipment Terminal at Vallarpadam only at a later stage.“For providing this facility at Vallarpadam, we have to enhance our electrical infrastructure,” Unnikrishnan said.
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