Decarbonizing India's Port Sector: Harit Sagar Guidelines Take Center Stage

Mumbai, May 31 (PTI) Maharashtra Maritime Board on Friday urged public and private stakeholders in the port sector to collaborate in decarbonising the entire chain of port operations.

Speaking at an industry event here, Maharashtra Maritime Board's Chief Port Officer Praveen S Khara also emphasised on the government's active promotion of the green port guidelines, "Harit Sagar," rolled out by the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal in May last year as part of efforts to meet the larger vision of achieving zero carbon emission goal.

Maharashtra handles an immense 77 million metric tonnes of cargo, involving a wide array of stakeholders across the logistics and trade ecosystem, he said.

There is a need for these public and private stakeholders to collaborate in decarbonizing the entire chain of operations.

The 2023 Harit Sagar Guidelines focus on creating a greener shift in port development, operation, and maintenance, aiming to minimise the environmental impact on the harbour ecosystem, he said at the Harit Sagar Conference 2024, hosted by CII under the theme "Navigating Sustainability in the Maritime Ecosystem: Vision.

The guidelines emphasise the use of clean and green energy in port operation, developing port capabilities for storage, handling and bunkering greener fuels.

These fuels include green hydrogen, green ammonia and green methanol and Ethanol, among others.

These Guidelines provides a framework for the major ports for drawing out a comprehensive action plan for achieving targeted outcomes in terms of quantified reduction in carbon emission over defined timelines, through focused implementation and close monitoring of green initiatives and to achieve Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDG).

Rajiv Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO, Essar Ports Ltd said that In the coming years, India will emerge as a hub for green energy and a leading exporter of sustainable energy solutions with these guidelines being a norm for companies to comply.

As technology evolves, our mindset must also adapt, recognising that decarbonizing will be a mandate for the future, he said and added that embracing this shift is crucial for our progress and leadership in the global energy landscape.

Stating that the Harit Sagar Guidelines will soon become mandatory because of global ESG concerns, Devki Nandan, Senior Executive President,at JSW Infrastructure said, "As we strive to decarbonise, our green policies should set a benchmark for other countries. Safety criteria have become a mandate in today's time, and our commitment to sustainability must reflect that."

Vinayak Pai, Vice Chairman, CII Maharashtra and Managing Director & CEO, at Tata Projects emphasised that industry has to learn to compete and co-create to decarbonise the maritime sector Since maritime trade constitutes significant amount of emissions, it becomes imperative to decarbonise the maritime ecosystem, he added.