Gateway to Green

India’s ports have the potential to become key hubs in the global green hydrogen transition. Beyond serving as traditional transit points, they can evolve into dynamic energy ecosystems by seamlessly integrating green hydrogen into their value chains. This transformation would not only accelerate India’s clean energy shift but also strengthen its role in global trade while unlocking new revenue streams through bunkering, refueling, and value-added services.

A robust Common User Infrastructure (CUI) framework will be key to developing green hydrogen facilities. Strategically located ports can cater to both domestic and export markets, leveraging their proximity to industrial clusters and existing infrastructure for scaling hydrogen operations. Their access to international markets and major shipping routes further strengthens their role in the hydrogen economy.

However, several challenges must be addressed to unlock this potential, including high production costs, limited investments, uncertain demand, and land acquisition complexities.

This report evaluates the readiness of six key Indian ports — Deendayal in Gujarat, V.O. Chidambaranar in Tamil Nadu, Paradip in Odisha, Cochin in Kerala, and Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority in Maharashtra — to support green hydrogen infrastructure. It assesses the potential for repurposing existing assets, such as natural gas pipelines and LNG terminals, for hydrogen transport and storage. The analysis also highlights the need for new investments, particularly in storage facilities, to enhance India’s competitiveness in the global green hydrogen market.

Storage infrastructure will play a critical role in supporting domestic hydrogen production, refueling services, and export operations. Leveraging existing storage infrastructure can reduce costs by avoiding additional capital expenditures. However, optimizing new infrastructure investments is essential to ensure long-term viability. The levelized cost of storage decreases significantly as capacity scales up to 1.0–1.5 megatons per year, after which cost reductions plateau. Efficient planning of storage capacity is crucial for managing costs and ensuring economic feasibility.