India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Secures $70 Million Financing for Shore Power Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 29, the shore power project at India's Jawaharlal Nehru Port advanced to the financing stage, with the International Finance Corporation proposing to provide a loan of up to $70 million to the port authority for the construction of shore power infrastructure in two phases over the next 2 to 3 years. According to IFC project documents, the financing was approved in August 2026 and remains in "pending signature" status.

The project will build 33 kV substations, cable systems, E-houses, static frequency converters, and shore power connection points at multiple berths in the port area, enabling vessels calling at the port to shut down their auxiliary diesel generators and connect directly to the onshore power grid. The port authority's existing power system is supplied by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company through two independent 220 kV feeders, and the main substation in the port area is equipped with redundant transformers, providing the basic power conditions for the subsequent shore power system.

The construction plan covers 7 terminals and will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will initially retrofit the APM Terminal, and the second phase will extend to NSICT, NSIGT, NSFT, NSDT, BMCT, and coastal berths. The detailed project plan also proposes setting up 3 load centers and 3 compact substations to serve the shore power needs of different terminals.

The existing shore power facilities at Jawaharlal Nehru Port mainly serve harbor craft and were expanded after 2021. This round of construction will extend shore power capacity to large ocean-going vessels, with liquid bulk terminals not included in the current scope of implementation. According to the port authority's official website, the detailed project report has been completed, the project management consulting firm is in place, and the overall goal is to complete the project by January 2028.

Project estimates show that after the shore power system is put into operation, vessels calling at the port are expected to use approximately 119,100 MWh of shore power annually, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 71,300 tonnes and lower air pollution and noise during vessel berthing.