In an effort to align blue and green economies, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways (MoPSW) plans to accelerate the National Green Hydrogen Mission by providing logistical support for building hydrogen storage bunkers at three Indian ports in east, north, and south India by 2030, which will be scaled up to 12 Indian ports in the near future.
The three key hydrogen storage hubs identified are Paradip Port in the east, Deendayal Port in Kandla, and V. O. Chidambaranar Port, formerly Tuticorin Port in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, Union Minister of Port, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal informed a consultative committee of various Members of Parliament.
According to Sonowal, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW ) plans to increase "the share of renewable energy to 60 percent of the total power demand of each of its major Ports from a current share of less than 10 percent, and the development of hydrogen bunkers in the three ports is a step in this direction."
"The Prime Minister's Maritime India Vision 2030 is a 10-year blueprint on India's vision of a sustainable maritime sector and vibrant blue economy." He went on to say.
The MoPSW plans to provide green urban mobility solutions such as Hybrid Electric Ferries, autonomous Zero-emission vessels, a pilot project on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Ferry, Electric Catamaran Water Taxi, Hybrid Electric Ro-Ro, Hybrid LNG-Electric Inland Cargo Carriers, Hybrid Tugs, and others such as part of its electrification of the blue economy.
"The good news for the auto industry is that the Ministry of Shipping is making rapid strides to move towards electrification in the port areas, which will increase opportunities for CNG & LNG mode of transport to begin with," said Sohel Kazani, Group Founder and Managing Director of Bharat Freight, who also runs a Port and Rail Terminal Management service with operations in the Republic of India, Islamic Republic of Iran in the Union of Myanmar (Sittwe Port).
The MoPSW has stated that these major ports will be required to launch at least one LNG bunkering station by 2030 and electric vehicle charging stations in and around port areas by 2025.
The move will bring India closer to the mandate of achieving 40 percent of the country’s electricity to be sourced from renewables.
Similarly, renewable energy is needed to power at least half the equipment and vehicle needs of these major ports by 2030 and will increase to 90 percent by 2047.
In response to the development, Kazani stated that this information is evident from guidelines published by India's Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways to reduce emissions to zero by 2070.
In addition to a hydrogen storage hub, the Ministry of Shipping has plans to electrify sea transportation, so that the blue and green economies can co-exist to decarbonise India's roads and waterways by providing connectivity between them, Kazani added.