India's momentum in introducing hydrogen as a fuel has been bolstered by the upcoming development of hydrogen hubs at the VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Tamil Nadu and the Deendayal Port in Gujarat.
The shipping ministry has instructed these two ports to procure hydrogen-powered "green tug" boats, which are used to guide large ships into berths. They further added that the Cochin Shipyard is making significant progress in creating green tugs that operate on hydrogen.
As per a senior official familiar with the development, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Paradip Port, VOC Port, and the Deendayal Port will each acquire two green tugs as part of the green tug transition program. Additionally, hydrogen hubs will be established at the VOC and Deendayal ports to facilitate the shift towards green fuel.
Furthermore, the Indian government aims to have two domestic ships powered by green hydrogen or its derivative fuels by 2027. Officials stated that this will be followed by the yearly addition of at least two ships utilising green fuels. These plans align with India's objective of decarbonising its ports in accordance with the Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines 2023.
The guidelines seek to minimise waste by implementing strategies such as waste reduction, reuse, repurposing, and recycling to achieve zero waste discharge from port operations. They also promote environmental performance monitoring based on specific indicators.
Moreover, the Green Ports Policy introduces incentives for fleet owners who adopt compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, electric, or green hydrogen-powered trucks. This initiative aims to reduce emission intensity at major ports.
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