India aims to power its entire coastal and inland waterways shipping fleet, beginning with 1,000 vessels, with renewable energy over the next five years, Union ports and shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on the sidelines of the 2nd Inland Waterways Development Council meet in Assam on Friday.
The move, expected to bolster the government’s goal for net zero carbon emissions by 2070, comes close on the heels of a plan to increase annual volumes of domestic cargo movement by inland waterways, he said.
Currently, the share of renewable energy at major ports is less than 10%, according to official estimates. To boost eco-friendly supply lines and cheaper cargo movement, the country aims to invest ₹50,000 crore-worth of infrastructure, the minister said.
At the meet, the minister announced projects worth ₹1,400 crore in 21 states. India currently has 106 national inland waterways, including the two largest no. 1 (Ganga) and no 2 (Brahmaputra).
Total cargo shipments through the country’s rivers have gone up from 18.1 million tonne to 133 million tonnes in 2024, with infrastructure additions to several existing domestic ports.
“Cargo movement through rivers aids seamless connectivity, reduces congestion on roads and saves costs. Our ministry has launched a cargo promotional scheme that will provide up to 35% incentives for river-route cargo,” the minister said.
Globally, the shipping industry’s share in CO2 emissions is about 3%. India plans to cut down its carbon footprint in line with the International Maritime Organization’s target to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from ships by half from 2008 levels by 2050.
India depends largely on foreign-made ships for maritime trade and ship-building facilities are being set up in several states, including one in Assam, the minister said.
Last February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the first indigenous hydrogen-run ferry built by the Cochin Shipyard Limited. It is a 24-metre catamaran, a vessel with two parallel hulls of equal size, which can carry 50 passengers.
The conversion of 1000 vessels — cargo and passenger— to solar-fuelled battery-powered will be carried out in phases.