Port Newark Gains 7.2-MW Solar Array to Power Operations, Help Local Grid

One of the primary terminals of export shipping for goods in and out of New York and the northeastern U.S. is now partially powered by a 7.2-MW solar photovoltaic array across the port.

Port Newark Container Terminal and Standard Solar have completed the project across the 320-acre site. The solar panels were installed across active truck lanes, rooftops and parking areas, in partnership with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey as well as the city of Newark.

“Designing and installing a system of this scale within a fully operational, high-traffic container facility required custom engineering and constant coordination,” C.J. Colavito, general manager of integrated project teams at Standard Solar, said in a statement. “From elevated canopy structures to rooftop arrays, every component was designed to work around ongoing port activity without compromising safety or performance.”

Nearly 4 MW of the solar capacity was built and installed on elevated canopy arrays over active truck lanes, while 3.4 MW of additional solar panels were put atop rooftop and parking canopies. The total 7.2 MW in solar PV capacity can supply close to half of Port Newark Container Terminal’s annual power needs and reduce emissions by an expected 50%, the project partners say.

While the distributed energy can meet much of the port load, excess power also can be sent into the Newark grid during times of peak demand.

“Working with our partners for a more sustainable Newark is an immense priority for my administration,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “We are acting locally while thinking globally on this world-changing issue.

“Port Newark’s solar energy project will help make our city healthier for present and future generations,” Mayor Baraka added. “We must continue efforts that combine our local infrastructure with clean power generation, driving Newark forward — building new jobs, increasing the air quality of our community, and doing our part to fight climate change.”

Standard Solar will own and operate the system long-term. The project includes a real-time dashboard to monitor energy production and carbon savings.

“This project showcases the ingenuity and adaptability of solar to thrive in even the most complex, space-constrained logistics environments,” said Rick Berube, Chief Operations Officer at Standard Solar.

On-site power projects such as microgrids are increasingly being built to serve major transportation and shipping facilities. AlphaStruxure and Schneider Electric are currently to develop a microgrid incorporating solar and battery storage at the John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal One site.

Port Newark joins a growing array of U.S. terminals which are incorporating solar, battery storage, fleet electrification and other decarbonization technologies. Those include the Ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, Virginia, Galveston, Houston, Oakland and Brownsville, Texas.

Port Newark Container Terminal handles more than 1.3 million 20-foot equivalent cargo containers annually. Vessels leaving or arriving there connect to ports throughout the world, including South America, northern Europe, Africa and Asia.