India is moving toward a different way of powering ships while they are waiting at port.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Navi Mumbai has partnered with the International Finance Corporation for a shore-power project backed by financing of up to US$70 million. The infrastructure will allow eligible vessels at berth to connect to electricity from the shore rather than continuously operating their auxiliary diesel engines.
Editorial Insight
Key Highlights
Important points readers should notice.
Issue/Event: JNPA is developing commercial shore-power infrastructure for vessels at berth.
Location: Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Authority/Organisation: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and International Finance Corporation.
Action Taken: Up to US$70 million in IFC financing is planned for the shore-power infrastructure.
Impact: The project is expected to reduce ship-related emissions at berth and demonstrate a model that could potentially be replicated at other Indian ports.
The project matters because a ship does not necessarily stop consuming energy when it reaches a port. Even while stationary, vessels may need electricity for lighting, refrigeration, navigation systems, communications and other onboard requirements. Traditionally, this can mean running auxiliary engines.
Shore power, also known as cold ironing, changes that arrangement by transferring the electricity supply from the ship's engines to the port's electrical network.
JNPA's planned system will include electrical substations, cable systems, frequency converters and shore-side connection infrastructure at multiple berths. The project is planned in two phases, with the first phase focusing on one container terminal before expansion to the remaining terminals.
Editorial Analysis
Why This Matters
The key question is not simply whether shore power works technically. It is whether the technology can work at commercial scale. Indian ports handle large volumes of international trade, and vessels can spend significant periods at berth. If ships can reliably use port electricity instead of auxiliary diesel engines during those periods, local emissions around port areas could be reduced. JNPA's project could therefore provide an operational reference point for other ports considering similar systems. However, wider adoption will depend on factors such as electricity availability, grid capacity, compatibility with different vessel types, infrastructure costs and the economics for shipping operators. That makes the JNPA project a useful real-world test rather than an immediate nationwide solution.
According to JNPA's project estimates, the system could reduce carbon emissions by 63% and harmful air pollution by up to 90%, while supporting more than 400 jobs. These are projected impacts rather than results already achieved.
The financing is also significant because JNPA and IFC describe the arrangement as India's first blue financing framework for the maritime sector. The project is intended not only to build infrastructure at one port but also to demonstrate whether shore power can become commercially viable and be replicated elsewhere.
