JNPT has invited bids from private parties up until the 2 August 2013 to set up the 7MW capacity project (around 12 turbines) which will supply up to a fourth of the port’s annual power requirement.
The technical bidding process will be open from 5 August. Presumably the party which offers the lowest cost per unit will be in with a greater chance of securing the deal.
Mr SM Shetty, manager US – JNPT, said to Port Strategy: “The presently supplied electrical power is mainly based on fossil fuels and therefore, the proposed generation of power through wind power will definetely contribute to the green agenda of availing power through renewable sources.”
JNPT says it is the first port in India to consider such an arrangement for such a pilot project.
The electrical power consumption of JNPT is around 84,000,000KWH per year at present and the proposed 7MW Wind energy project is expected to generate about 15,400,000 KWH of electrical power per year. It means that the port will not need to wholly depend on its existing power distributor – Maharastra Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd after commissioning the project.
If this pilot project is successful, JNPT says it may consider adding to the capacity of the wind energy project in phases.
Feasibility studies have already been completed and the project is set to be awarded in November in the hope that the turbines will be operational by April 2014.
Meanwhile, interested parties have until 19 July to submit interest for the tender of the new mega container terminal which should add 4.8m teu per annum to the port’s capacity.
Eight Indian and foreign companies have shown interest in the tender including the Port of Singapore, Adani and DP World.
JNPT had planned to award the fourth container terminal project to a private partner by March of this year but this was delayed after the PSA International consortium pulled out of project after winning the tender.
