Visakhapatnam Port Authority earns L2 Green Port accreditation
The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has been awarded the ‘L2 Green Port’ accreditation by the Centre of Excellence on ESG & Circularity, recognising its efforts in environmental sustainability, renewable energy adoption, infrastructure modernisation and corporate social responsibility.
The certification follows an independent third-party assessment of the port’s environmental performance. The Green Port accreditation framework evaluates ports on parameters such as carbon emission reduction, waste management, renewable energy utilisation and ecological conservation.
According to VPA officials, the port has become the first major port in the country to meet its entire power requirement through solar energy, achieving 100 per cent green power consumption. The authority is also implementing a ‘One Million Plantation Drive’ between 2024 and 2027 to strengthen green cover in and around the port area.
As part of its environmental management initiatives, VPA operates a 10-million-litre-per-day sewage treatment plant and two effluent treatment plants with a combined capacity of 400 kilolitres per day. Treated water is reused for dust suppression in cargo handling areas and along internal roads.
The port has also electrified 95 per cent of its railway network as part of its clean energy transition. Other measures include the installation of shore-to-ship power supply systems, berth modernisation works and the construction of covered storage facilities for handling dusty bulk cargo.
To address marine pollution, VPA removed 1,398 metric tonnes of floating waste from drains discharging into harbour waters. The authority also spends nearly ₹20 crore annually on a beach nourishment programme aimed at mitigating coastal erosion along the Visakhapatnam coastline.
On the social responsibility front, VPA has sanctioned ₹7.23 crore for initiatives in education, healthcare and skill development, of which ₹4.31 crore has been disbursed so far. Officials said the port recently contributed ₹1 crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support flood rehabilitation efforts in Vijayawada.
The accreditation is expected to strengthen VPA’s position among ports adopting sustainable and environmentally responsible operational practices.