Recently, Goa became the first Indian port to be listed in the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) under the Green Credit Programme, recognized by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH). This achievement is an important milestone not only for Goa, but also for India.
Environmental Ship Index
- ESI is a system designed to evaluate and reward the environmental performance of seagoing vessels.
- It identifies vessels that perform better in reducing air emissions than the existing emission standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
- IMO’s 2023 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy: The IMO strategy aims to reduce the carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% by the year 2030.
- Origin of ESI: The ESI initiative started on 1 January 2011 and its database is under the administration of IAPH.
Main Characteristics of ESI
- Port-Centric System: Designed specifically as a system from ports to ports.
- Voluntary Participation: Allows shipowners to demonstrate the environmental performance of their vessels on a voluntary basis.
- Applicability: Can be applied to all types of seagoing ships, regardless of size or function.
- Automated Calculation: It is automatically calculated and maintained.
- Incentives: Ports and authorities may offer incentives, such as reduced port fees or priority berthing, to ships with higher ESI scores.
Mormugao Port Authority (MPA)
- Historical Background: Mormugao Port was commissioned in 1888.
- With the rise of mining as a key industry in Goa, Mormugao Port was developed as an iron ore terminal.
- Major Port Designation: Mormugao Port was declared a Major Port in 1964.
- Iron ore traffic growth, especially due to Japanese demand during their industrial reconstruction, helped in the dramatic growth of Mormugao port.
- Strategic Development Plans: In 1965, a Perspective Plan was established to develop Mormugao Port for deep-water access and high-capacity loading to compete with Brazil and Australia in the iron ore market.
- Green Transition: Harit Shrey program was launched in October 2023 that offers discounts on port charges to vessels that use green fuel and emit no nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides.
Developments on Inland Waterways
- National Waterways(NW) Expansion: India is developing 111 national waterways (NWs) that span over 20,000 kilometres.
- Current Status of IWTs: There are approximately 50 IWTs currently operational.
- Cargo Traffic Growth: Since 2013-14, cargo transported through inland waterways rose from 29.16 million tonnes in FY15 to 133.03 million tonnes in FY24.
- Future Targets: Under the Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the government aims to increase cargo traffic through inland waterways to 200 million tonnes by 2030 and 500 million tonnes by 2047.