Mombasa port is transforming into a “green” facility. [Photo- the star]
Maritime and Shipping affairs principal secretary Nancy Karigithu has said Mombasa port is transforming into a “green” facility, in line with a global maritime initiative to help mitigate the effects of harmful carbon emissions.
Karigithu said KPA is doing so by fully complying with international regulations on energy efficiency for ships sailing in the Region by implementing two of its harmful emission reduction projects currently being undertaken by the port of Mombasa.
KPA is in the process of adopting the offshore power supply project which when complete will force vessels that dock at the port for more than two hours to reduce their gas emissions – a requirement best met by switching off their diesel engines and using shore-side power while docked.
Offshore power supply OPS technology, will help to supply docked vessels with electricity from shore to reduce emissions.
Karigithu while addressing stakeholders at the first MTCC-Africa Workshop at Whitesands hotel said Kenya will be among other international countries to reduce carbon emission when the project is complete.
Karigithu said KPA is working with maritime Technology Cooperation MTTC Africa-a global network for energy efficient shipping, in improving compliance with international regulations.
Under the initiative spearheaded by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), shippers will be required to adopt new measures to address the negative impact of their operations on the environment.
“As a country, we remain committed to reducing carbon emissions. We must protect the Oceans the rate of pollution we are seeing is too alarming. We as a country will have moved a major milestone in terms of environmental protection,” said Karigithu.
This comes as various studies revealing that ports across the globe are among major greenhouse gases emitters, particularly carbon and sulfur gases emission.
The new power technology is being undertaken through a collaborative effort of KPA in collaboration with the Jomo Kenyatta Agriculture and technology JKUAT and Kenya Maritime Authority KMA.
The technology will supply power to docked vessels so that they can turn off the Auxiliary engines that provide electricity for onboard systems like heating, lighting, and refrigeration, and reduce greenhouse gas and noise emissions in port.
Kenya Ports Authority KPA corporation secretary Addraya Dena said the project was ongoing at the port and will end in 2020.
“We have already connected power stations and we are committed as a port to ensure harmful reduction from Ships that dock at the Mombasa port,” said Dena during her speech she read on behalf of Catherine Muturi.
The stakeholders said a similar concept has been viable at international and giant ports like the Port of Los Angeles in the United States, port of Gothenburg of Sweden and Antwerp port in Belgium.
“We are looking forward to reducing carbon emissions from ships by 40 percent in 2010,” said Bruno Pozzi the deputy head of European Delegation to Kenya during the MTCC conference in Mombasa yesterday.
It is said that single diesel engines of a single cruise ship burn 20 metric tons of fuel and produce 60 metric tons of carbon dioxide which can be eliminated by supplying the ship’s infrastructure with shore-side power.
KPA will implement one of the 6.8 Billion green energy technology projects for berths 11-14 funded by the European Union through Trademark East Africa Ltd.The project which its visibility study is in phase two is set to be complete by 2020.
The project when complete will have complete electrical infrastructure, both onshore and offshore as turnkey solutions, including a portfolio of key system components such as frequency converters, high- and medium-voltage switchgear, transformers, control and protection systems,
The power solution needs to be fully integrated with the vessels electrical and automation system and must enable seamless power switching as required between the ship’s own electrical generation system and the shore power supply to make it viable.