Mormugao Port becomes India’s first accredited green port

The Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) has been declared the first “green port” in India under the Green Port Certification Programme. The accreditation was granted by the Centre of Excellence on Environmental, Social and Governance and Circularity, Mumbai. Last year, it became India’s first port to offer incentives and discounts to vessels based on the Environmental Ship Index score. To curb its carbon footprint, the MPA has operationalised a 3 MW solar power plant, with plans to scale to 5 MW in partnership with the Goa Energy Development Agency. The port is also preparing to become a smart port, introducing technologies like 5G to enhance operations and communication. Additionally, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is pushing for major ports to adopt indigenous vessel traffic management software, and seven out of the 12 major ports are already moving towards domestically developed systems.