Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) and Ayush Sarbananda Sonowal has said India aims at becoming ‘Global Hub for Green Ship’ building by 2030 with launch of Green Tug Transition Programme(GTTP).
Inaugurating India’s first National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) in Gurugram, Haryana, he said the programme will start with ‘Green Hybrid Tugs’, which will be powered by Green Hybrid Propulsion systems, and subsequently adopting non-fossil fuel solutions like (Methanol, Ammonia, Hydrogen).
The Minister said target has been set for the initial Green Tugs to start working in all major ports by 2025. At least, 50% of all the Tugs are likely to be converted into Green Tugs by 2030, which will considerably reduce emission as the country move towards achieving sustainable development, he added.
Sonowal said as India took the presidency of G20, it gives him immense pleasure to announce these initiatives as a major endeavour of the government towards a cleaner, greener environment.
He said under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi we have been working towards strengthening our efforts towards building self reliance in Green Ship Building as well as installation of green solutions in all possible areas under the Ministry’s purview.
He said we hope to become the global hub of Green Ship Building by 2030 as we witness tremendous business potential and yet remain completely dedicated towards building a greener world.
Country’s first National Centre of Excellence in Green Port & Shipping (NCoEGPS) is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India and the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).
With the NCoEGPS acting as the Nodal entity for the industry, the plan is afoot to make India as the ‘Global hub for building Green Ships’ by 2030. With these initiatives, the Centre is aimed at playing a crucial role towards achievement of UN’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14) to sustainably manage and protect marine & coastal ecosystems from pollution, conservation & sustainable use of ocean based resources.
The Centre will engage in developing the regulatory framework and alternative technology adoption roadmap for green shipping in India. The centre – housed within the TERI complex in Gurugram – will work towards meeting the obligations under the Paris Agreement.
