Busy Cargo Terminal At Port Newark Is Getting A Huge Boost From Solar Power

NEWARK, NJ — Solar power has been paying off at one of the East Coast’s largest shipping ports, officials say.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey recently announced that a 7.2-megawatt solar installation has been completed at the Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT).

Located on the Newark Bay in Port Newark, the terminal serves as a principal container shipping facility for goods entering and leaving the New York/Newark metropolitan area.

According to the bi-state agency, the new equipment generates about 50 percent of the terminal’s annual energy needs, helping to reduce emissions. The system also has the ability to feed excess power into the regional utility grid – providing “clean energy” to the city of Newark and other nearby areas.

Officials released the following details about the installation:

“The system generates a significant amount of solar energy from 7.8 acres of elevated solar panel canopies that altogether occupy just 1,500 square feet, or about 0.04 acres, of ground space. It generates 3.8 megawatts from five elevated canopy-mounted solar arrays on top of multiple truck lanes, along with an additional 3.4 megawatts from canopies over parking areas and rooftop arrays. In a space-constrained environment, this innovative dual-use design enables robust solar generation without sacrificing land for terminal operations.”

The PNCT maintains a dashboard monitoring the system’s real-time energy generation. Since the first phase of the project became operational in 2023, the energy generated has marked the equivalent of removing 5,801 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the air: the equivalent of planting more than 150,000 trees.

The solar equipment is part of the Port Authority’s goal to develop an energy microgrid that operates at “net-zero emissions” by 2050.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said the city has a history of working with the PNCT to “solve challenges.”

“What affects one affects the other,” he said.

Port Authority chair Kevin O’Toole said the project is a “win” for Newark residents, the environment and the seaport in general.

“By working hand-in-hand with PNCT and the City of Newark, our seaport is now home to a large solar energy project capable of generating significant energy for one of its major container terminals – while feeding excess power into the local grid,” O’Toole said.

“It’s an extraordinary model of how we can work together for the betterment not just of our own facilities, but for the communities we serve as well,” he added.

• See Related: NJ Will Get Boost From Long-Term Lease At Port, Governor Says
• See Related: Large Cargo Ship Trend Spurs $82M In Upgrades At NJ, NY Port System

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