KOCHI: The Cochin Port Trust is on a green initiative. Setting a model for other ports in the country and going by the guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the port management has implemented the onshore power supply system at the port. Under the system, ships berthed at the port will be provided electricity from the shore till it leaves the port. During the period, the engine of the vessel will be turned off to reduce diesel consumption. The air pollution can also be controlled to a great extent.As an initial step, power was supplied to cruise vessel Amet Majesty on Sunday from 11 a.m.. “It is a beginning. We have looked into the project in detail as each vessel needs power according to different specifications. The onshore power supply is mandatory for all the ports according to IMO norms,” said Cochin Port secretary Cyril C George.Though at present, the port is able to supply power only in a limited quantity, the port authorities expect that it would not be a problem once the proposed power plant attached to the upcoming LNG terminal at Puthuvypeen becomes operational. Unlike the Naval vessels, commercial ships usually do not have longer stays, and they work on the power generated internally through diesel-powered generators (auxiliary engines). When a ship is berthed at port, it needs power for various purposes, such as air conditioning system, operations of various equipment such as cranes and lifts. 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 subject to emissions control. This had prompted the IMO to carry out research on using cheaper forms of fuel to run diesel-powered ships.“By turning off the engine at least during berth at the port, the air pollution can be reduced to a great extent,” said another official of the Cochin Port Trust.
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