All major ports fully self-sustainable on electricity by 2030: India Govt.

The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Mr. Sarbananda Sonowal communicated that the government of India is committed to reducing the emissions from the shipping sector and promoting the development of net zero and low-emission solutions. All the Major Ports are to be completely self-sustainable on electricity by 2030 as all the requirements of the port are going to be met by renewable sources. A few of the other initiatives that are under process are Green Warehousing with natural solutions such as rainwater harvesting, automated and compact storage systems, rooftop solar and using HVLS fans.

The Sagarmala program is the special program of the Ministry of Port to promote & support port-led development in the country by utilizing India’s 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways, and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.

The minister further said that as a part of the Sagarmala Program, over 800 projects at a projected cost of around 5.5 lakh crore have been identified for implementation between 2015-2035 spanning all coastal states Eastern and Western sides of the country. This project includes projects from various categories such as modernization & development of existing ports and terminals, new ports, and terminals, RoRo & tourism jetties, enhancement of port connectivity, inland waterways, lighthouse tourism, industrialization around ports, skill development, technology centers, etc.

It was further added that to enhance global standard ports in India, Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030 has identified various initiatives such as developing state-of-the-art Mega Ports, transshipment hubs, and infrastructure modernization of ports at an investment to the tune of ₹1,00,000–1,25,000 crore for capacity amplification and development of world-class infrastructure at Indian Ports.