Port of NSW installs its 1st solar panel system

The Port Authority of New South Wales (NSW) has installed its first major rooftop solar panel system at Newcastle Port Centre.

The Port Authority’s Principal Environmental Planner, Fiona McKay, said 81 solar panels were installed to reduce the reliance on grid electricity. Rooftop space is efficiently used to generate power for onsite maritime operations.

The port already offsets 100 per cent of its electricity usage state-wide with renewable electricity generation through a power purchase agreement linked to a NSW solar farm and a NSW wind farm.

The installation of the rooftop solar panel system is part of the port’s Sustainability Plan and Net Zero targets, committing to reduce carbon emissions to reach net zero by 2040, with a 75 per cent reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.  

“This investment in renewable technology is just one way Port Authority is meeting its own sustainability goals, while also actively offsetting increasing energy costs within our port facilities,” McKay said.

“This 35.6 kilowatt (kW) solar system provides, on average, 150 kWh/day of electricity, which will be used to offset electricity use within the Newcastle Port Centre. The added benefits will see an estimated $170,000 in electricity savings over the life of the system which equates to around $9,000 per year.

“It is great to see this solar panel installation now complete, as this is the first major step in reducing the consumption of grid electricity for our operations in Newcastle.”