India’s Ministry of Shipping and Ports has identified three ports that could be developed as hubs for the export of green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol within the next seven years, media reports said on Monday.
Through these ports, India aims to establish itself as a key player in the global hydrogen market.
The entire necessary infrastructure to facilitate storage, handling and bunkering of green fuels and their derivatives will be developed at these ports.
The development of the ports is in line with the National Green Hydrogen Mission. Under the mission, India aims to exploit the potential of hydrogen in various sectors, along with harnessing the potential of hydrogen derivatives as a low-carbon fuel alternative. Such derivatives have immense potential in transportation sectors like shipping, metro rail, and trains.
As per media reports quoting sources, the state government of Odisha is in the process of allocating land near Paradip Port to manufacturers who specialize in green hydrogen and its derivatives. The port authority is also planning to develop shared infrastructure facilities for the green hydrogen project, including the dedicated handling of ammonia and its derivatives.
The state government has also requested that the Ministry of Shipping and Ports provide a grant of INR 3,250 million ($ 39 million) to support its efforts.
Apart from this, the Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla has invited global expressions of interest in order to bring developers and market players into the production, storage and sale of green hydrogen and ammonia on board.
Similarly, the VOCPA port in Tuticorin has allocated 500 acres of land for the establishment of a green hydrogen hub. A proposal to the government has already been submitted and a request has been placed for grant and viability gap funding to facilitate the development.