VO Chidambaranar proposes to install wind turbines worth Rs125 crore

September 24, 2019: VO Chidambaranar Port Trust, Tuticorin has proposed to install grid-connected 25 MW onshore and offshore wind farms at an estimated cost of Rs125 crore in the port premises.

The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), Chennai will carry out a study to identify the feasible locations, capacity of wind turbines to be installed and height at which the wind turbines are to be installed. The key parameters like wind speed, wind direction, temperature, pressure and solar radiation levels have to be monitored and analysed for a period of one year.

The authorities have erected meteorological masts in two locations at the port, installed with speed monitoring instruments, wind vanes, temperature sensor, Pyranometer and pressure sensor. A centralised automatic data logger is installed for data collection and transmission to NIWE, Chennai to analyse the data in realtime. On completion of the study, the port will install the onshore and offshore wind turbines at the identified locations.

TK Ramachandran, IAS, chairman, VO Chidambaranar Port Trust, “The port has good green credentials by implementing various projects like shore power supply to ships, roof top solar power generation, sprinkler system and fogging machine at the coal yard, energy saving LED lighting systems, mobile hoppers with electrically operated dust suppression systems and ambient air quality monitoring stations. The port would continue to reduce the carbon footprints and set a trend among major ports of the country for adopting an integrated Green Energy Port Model.”

VO Chidambaranar Port registers record 30.93% growth in August 2019

The port established roof top solar power plants at various premises, spanning a total area of 5530 sq m with 1,779 panels. These panels generate an average monthly output of about 5800 KWh units solar power. This output has enabled the port to reduce its carbon footprint by 476 metric tonnes per year. The 500 KW rooftop solar power plants were installed at a cost of Rs4.78 crore through the power purchase agreement.

In addition to the 500 KW rooftop solar power plants, the port has issued orders to Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), Chennai for installing 140 KW solar roof top power plant at various locations of the port establishments at a cost of Rs76 lakh. This project is likely to be commissioned by the first quarter of 2020 and the expected average power generation per year would be two lakhs units.