Govt aims to make inland waterways ports 100% green

The government plans to make all coastal and river ports in inland waterways “completely green” in five years by using renewable energy, said a senior civil servant.

VO Chidambaranar Port in Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu, Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla in Gujarat, Visakhapatnam Port and Jawaharlal Nehru Port in Navi Mumbai already use green energy for all their needs.

Under the Amrit Kaal plan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October, the government has set 2047 as the deadline to make “all major ports” in the country use green energy. All such ports will have green hydrogen storage and bunkering facilities by 2047, says a vision document for the plan.

The government has identified three ports, in Kandla, Tuticorin and Paradip, to be pilots in green hydrogen production.

The Centre, in February, released guidelines for undertaking green hydrogen pilot projects in the shipping sector under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

Two areas have been identified as thrust areas under the pilot projects. First is retrofitting of ships to enable them to run on green hydrogen or its derivatives. The second is the development of bunkering and refuelling facilities in ports on international shipping lanes for fuels based on green hydrogen.

Shipping Ministry has allocated Rs 80 crore to the Shipping Corporation of India to enable older ships to use methanol as fuel. “Couple of them are already in the process.