Vizag to be first major port to run on solar energy.

The Vizag port will be the first to run operations on solar energy.

This was disclosed by MT Krishna Babu, Chairman of Vizag Port Trust (VPT), at a road show here on the Maritime India Summit (MIS) to be held in April, in Mumbai.

VPT, which has recently commissioned 2MW solar power plants with in investment of ₹60 crore, will be adding another 8 MW capacity in about a month from now.

Devendra K Rai, Director, Union Ministry of Shipping, said the target was to set up 135 MW of solar power projects in eight major ports, JNPT, Paradip, Kamarajar, Kandla, V O Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and New Mangalore, by 2020.

Wind energy project for generating 50 MW were also on the anvil in V O Chidambaranar, Chennai and New Mangalore ports, he added.

Republic of Korea has consented to be a partner country for the MIS 2016, and the summit will have participation of the delegation of maritime companies and government officials from South Korea.

HBL