India’s first national centre of excellence for green port launched

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal announced India’s first National Centre of Excellence for Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) a major initiative by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping towards providing greener solutions. The announcement was made by the Union Minister at the recently concluded “INMARCO 2022” in Mumbai.

The centre aims to develop a regulatory framework and alternate technology adoption road map for Green Shipping to foster carbon neutrality and circular economy (CE) in shipping sector in India. India intends to increase the share of renewable energy to 60% of the total power demand of each of its major ports from a present share of less than 10%. This will be through solar and wind-generated power.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Sonowal said, “It is my immense pleasure to announce establishment of India’s first centre of excellence for Green Port & Shipping as a major attempt by the Ministry towards realising Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s Mission LiFE movement. As per the vision of PM Modi ji, this movement, is going to be an India led global movement for collective action to protect & preserve Environment. This centre is an important step towards this movement as it aims to transform ports and shipping turn more Environment friendly.  

The Deendayal Port Authority Kandla, Paradip Port Authority, Paradip, V.O Chidambaranar Port Authority, Thoothukudi and Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi have all extended their support to the ministry to set up this centre. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is the knowledge and implementation partner for this project.

Adding further on this, the Minister said, “This Centre will help on policy and regulatory support to the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways for developing regulatory framework and alternate technology adoption roadmap for Green Shipping to foster carbon neutrality and circular economy (CE) in shipping sector in India. I thank all the stakeholders of this project for hedging their resources towards a very important aspect of the sector.”

The ports have also aimed to reduce Carbon emissions per ton of cargo handled by 30% by 2030. The Maritime Vision Document 2030, released by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is a 10 Year blueprint on India’s vision of a sustainable Maritime sector and vibrant blue economy. India has been selected as the first country under the IMO Green Voyage 2050 project to conduct a pilot project related to Green Shipping.

India will also be implementing IMO energy efficiency requirements for existing ships and carbon intensity requirements on all its vessels whether coastal or international in order to help achieve IMO GHG reduction targets. India is already supplying shore power to ships with power demand less than 150 KW at present and targeting to supply shore power to all visiting ships. India is working actively at Marine Environmental Protection Committee of IMO to help devise acceptable regulatory requirements for GHG emission reduction in line with IMO GHG initial strategy.

India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement for the Period 2021-2030 include: to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level, and to achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030 with the help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance. India is well on its way to achieve these targets and has already achieved more than 24.5% share of Renewable Energy (RE) in total Installed Capacity. Globally, today India stands 4th in RE power capacity, 4th in Wind power, and 5th in Solar Power capacity.

As all the industry sectors are moving towards achieving carbon neutrality and implementing CE measures ahead of Government of India commitment for the year 2070. The shipping sector which is both energy and resource intensive also needs an implementation road map to achieve energy and resource neutrality. Therefore, the work undertaken by the NCoEGPS will provide the decision makers at a national and sub-national level with methodology and framework to implement carbon neutrality measures, to meet (and exceed) obligations under the Paris Accord through electrification of process, through renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, and other emerging alternate fuel technologies including green fuels. The scope of work carried out by NCoEGPS will also include training and capacity of different stakeholders for fast-tracking adoption green measures identified through research.

The main objective of the proposed NCoEGPS is to provide support to MoPSW in developing and maintaining a policy and regulatory framework for a green alternative technologies road map for the shipping sector in India for its transition to carbon neutrality and CE principles.

To achieve this objective, the NCoEGPS will focus on five broad areas:

• Policy, Regulatory and Research
• Human Resource development
• Network- Key Partners and Strategic collaborators
• Explore- Area of work, outcomes, projects and resources
• Engage- Past events, upcoming events, dissemination

NCoEGPS will act as a technological arm of MoPSW for providing the needed support on Policy, Research and Cooperation on Green Shipping areas for Ports, DG Shipping, CSL and other institutions under the umbrella of MoPSW.

The Center will be a host of several technological arms to support the port and shipping sector and will provide solutions to a variety of problems being faced in the industry through scientific research. It will also carry out valuable education, applied research and technology transfer in maritime transportation at the local, regional, national and international levels. It will focus on the following areas.

The NCoEGPS faculty / scientists/ engineers will work towards an in-depth understanding of the problems being faced by the MoPSW and their associates in order to offer effective recommendations and position their R&D activities towards sustainable goals as and when required being dictated by day-to-day problems. The Center will interact with all the ports, shipping, maritime states in understanding their problems and offering solutions through well proven and upstream scientific approaches. This would also necessitate research in frontier areas, which will be identified.