India’s Ambitious Green Hydrogen Plans for Maritime Industry

At the Hamburg Sustainability Conference, Pralhad Joshi, India’s Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, announced a significant investment of $25 million to create hydrogen hubs at key Indian ports as part of the nation’s green shipping initiative. This move marks a critical step in decarbonizing India’s marine industry, with hubs planned for Deendayal, Paradip, and V.O. Chidambaranar ports. The facilities will support the bunkering and refueling of boats powered by green hydrogen.

In alignment with the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), an additional $14 million will be allocated to retrofit existing vessels for operation on green hydrogen or its derivatives. The NGHM aims for a substantial output of 5 million metric tons of green hydrogen annually by 2030, backed by an initial capital of $2.4 billion. The initiative anticipates attracting over $100 billion in investments, fostering job creation for more than 600,000 individuals.

Minister Joshi also highlighted India’s ambitions in shipbuilding, noting plans to modernize shipyards and rejuvenate aging docks. He expressed the goal for India to emerge as one of the top five shipbuilding nations by 2047. Furthermore, he showcased India’s renewable energy advancements, citing a 175 percent increase in capacity since 2014, with solar power capacity having risen 33-fold in the past decade.