The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways plans to expand its shore-to-ship power infrastructure.

Shore Power

• About: In shipping parlance, shore power refers to the power supply given to a boat, ship, or any maritime vessel when it’s docked at the port.
• Benefit: Shore power technology not only helps to minimise the climate impact of port operations, it also brings public health benefits by reducing the use of bunker fuels. 
  • It will not only save fuel, but also significantly reduce vessel emissions within the port area. 
• Grid Requirements: Shore power has been used extensively for vessels with moderate power requirements—typically less than 50 to 100 KW. For larger vessels with higher power requirements — 100 KW up to 10 to 15 MW.

Initiatives Taken by Government to increase Shore Power

• Power Guidelines for Indian Ports: The Directorate-General of Shipping (DGS), an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, issued ‘Standard Operating Procedures: Shore Electric Power Supply to Ships in Indian Ports’ in May 2018. 
  • The guidelines were “applicable for ships with power demand up to 150 KW” (small and medium-sized ships). 
    • The plan is to make it mandatory in a phased manner across all ports and for all vessels calling at those ports.
• New Guidelines: A set of interim guidelines for the safe operation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) in ports covering the ship-shore interface requirements was issued by DGS in April 2024. 
• Harit Sagar Initiative: Under the Ministry’s ‘Harit Sagar – Green Port Guidelines,’ the first phase, which covers switching port crafts (pilot boat, tugs, and so on) to electrical power or green power, was initiated in 2023. 

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