The Colombo Port would be converted to a green port by 2030 and initiatives towards this are now taking place, Chairman, Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Keeth Bernard told the Port of Colombo Capacity Building Project workshop organized by the Colombo Plan on Wednesday at Courtyard by Marriott.
He said that the international maritime organization (IMO) has stipulated that all shipping should be powered by dual energy sources by 2035 and by 2025 all of them should be run on Green energy.
“To meet these global norms we too are introducing several novel systems including the processing of Green Hydrogen and E-fuels Bunkering in Trincomalee Port Special Economic Zone.(SEZ).”
This phase focuses on establishing a large-scale solarne PV plant within the SEZ, optimizing grid integration and electrifying all SEZ facilities with electric alternatives.
He also disclosed that when the Colombo Port Development commenced under Minister Lalith Athulathmudali he also created the Mahapola scholarship fund. “We are now looking at reactivating this scheme and modernizing it to create more maritime focused employees.”
The Colombo Plan, with funding from the U.S. Embassy, launched a three-year program to enhance the technical expertise of Sri Lanka Ports Authority staff and advance “smart” port operations at the Port of Colombo.
At the launch, U.S. reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the rapidly growing ports industry of Sri Lanka.
“The United States is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s ports sector to meet the growing demands of the global economy, fostering economic prosperity for all Sri Lankans,” she said.
Shirajiv Sirimane
