To learn more about the Mormugao Port Authority’s (MPA) involvement in “decarbonizing ports and shipping,” a team from the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH) has chosen to visit the port. In order to encourage ships with lower carbon footprints, the port started the Harit Shrey program in October 2023, which offers Green Ship incentives. Such incentives are being offered by the port for the first time in India. The IAPH delegation, which will be visiting Goa on Feb 27, wants to explore strategies to implement the port’s initiatives across global ports.
The delegation will discuss the environmental ship index (ESI) initiative and explore its implementation across global ports. The delegation also plans to meet relevant stakeholders in Goa.
According to MPA chairperson N Vinodkumar, initially, incentives were offered to vessels with an ESI score of 30 or more, but the scheme was revised on Dec 1 and now offers incentives to vessels that have an ESI score of 20 and more. Since the scheme was launched, just eight vessels have qualified, and approximately Rs 92,000 has been offered to operators.
One of the biggest challenges for the implementation of the scheme has been the absence of standardised documentation of a ship’s ESI score. Many of the agents do not know the ESI score of the vessel. They don’t even know where to find the ESI score, and we have had to create awareness and inform them. According to port authorities the high upfront costs for green technology adoption and the lack of clarity about environmental standards hinder the expansion of the scheme.
