Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), the largest container port, is investing around `50 crore to install a windmill of 7 MW capacity, which will help it save around 30 per cent on energy costs, a top official has said.
“We have invited bids from private parties to set up 7 MW capacity and this will help save up to 30 per cent on our power cost,” acting chairman N.N. Kumar said. The capacity, to be built at an investment of about `48 crore, will take care of up to a fourth of the port’s annual power requirement, a senior port official said, adding that JNPT was the first port to consider such an arrangement.
The project is expected to be awarded by November and should be operational by April next, he added. Mr Kumar said that as per the plan, the port will outsource generation through a bidding process and the company that offers the lowest cost per unit will be awarded the project, feasibility studies for which have already been done. The winning company can set up the plant anywhere in the country.
“We are in the coastal zone that does not have sufficient wind activity. The winning bidder can set it up anywhere in the country and connect up with the grid. We will draw the power from the grid itself and get the benefit of adding the capacity,” Mr Kumar said. Preferably, the port would like to have the wind mill in Maharashtra itself as the proximity reduces the landing cost of the power at the port, but it could be set up anywhere.
The official said the total cost of the project will be `47.8 crore and the minimum capacity of a wind mill has been prescribed at 800 KW, which means that up to a dozen such mills could be erected.
“This is a pilot project and the port may add more such capacity from alternate sources of power like wind and solar in order to reduce its reliance on the high cost power it draws currently,” he said.