In a green-friendly initiative, Visakhapatnam Port is set to become first major port in India to produce solar power in the next few days.
The stage is set for commissioning of the first phase of 10 MW project in the first week of February. Johnson Engineers Limited of NOIDA with which Visakhapatnam Port Trust signed an MoU in November for installation of solar panels, operation and maintenance for seven years has already brought 8,000 panels in addition to inverters and batteries. At present the cabling work is going on and some more structures are expected in a day or two.
Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Ltd will synchronise two MW of power in the first phase. The government has agreed to waive off wheeler charges for the first two years. The VPT is going ahead with the project with an investment of Rs.57 crore in an area of 50 acres near the Visakhapatnam International Airport as per suggestions made by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited.
“We are feeling proud that Visakhapanam Port is the first major port to foray into solar power generation as per the decision taken by the Central government. Once fully operational by March-end, we will be in a position to meet our requirement of 10 million units and contribute five million units to the State Grid,” Visakhapatnam Port Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh told The Hindu on Saturday.
The port, as part of its decision to decongest cargo on the highway, has decided to convert Port Connectivity Road (PCR) into four lanes and lay an Elevated Freight Corridor linking it from Anakapalle via Sabbavaram and connecting it to PCR under Sagarmala Project.
The port is investing Rs. 3,000 crore on augmentation of facilities and modernisation to raise its capacity from 93 million tonne to 124 million tonne in next two years.
First major port
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unique
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