Business & Finance

India Positions Itself as Key Green Fuel Exporter in EU Shipping Corridor

By Bhanu Pratap

Industry leaders at the Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue 2026 in New Delhi said India could become a major exporter of green fuels as it partners with Europe to develop a green shipping corridor. They highlighted India’s renewable energy potential, growing green‑fuel ecosystem and expanding port infrastructure as factors that could make the country a key supplier for the shipping industry’s transition to cleaner fuels.

BC Tripathi, Vice Chairman of AM Green, argued that green fuels produced in India should be exported directly rather than routed through hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong. He said the India‑EU initiative was significant because it was moving beyond discussion toward implementation, with data and insights emerging.

Sudhir Pathak, CTO of Hero Future Energies, said the coalition should help position India as an exporter of green fuels while reducing dependence on imported energy for shipping. He noted India’s abundant solar resources and expertise in converting intermittent renewable power into controlled, round‑the‑clock energy.

Anupam Sawhney of Sembcorp India pointed out that shipping accounts for almost 3 % of global greenhouse gas emissions and that stronger regulations will create demand for scalable supplies of green fuels. He said India is uniquely positioned to support the transition to green shipping.

The proposed corridor aims to assess the feasibility of an India‑Europe green hydrogen and green shipping corridor, potentially creating a supply chain that connects Indian green‑fuel producers with European shipping demand.

Rajeev Goyal of EXMAR said India has the potential to develop green ammonia and has already demonstrated its ability to transport and burn ammonia. He added that when manufacturers and ports are ready, the company is ready to ship.

Industry executives stressed that producing green fuel alone will not be enough. Ports will need dedicated infrastructure for storing, handling and exporting these fuels. Sudhish Pandey of Aegis Vopak said storage infrastructure at ports would be an “integral and critical” part of the ecosystem and that the company wants to explore shared port infrastructure for the storage, export and movement of green energy and green fuels.

Capt. Suraj Sundaresan of Eastern Pacific Shipping said the shipping industry shares the objective of accelerating the transition toward lower‑carbon fuels and that the industry needs to act quickly to reduce emissions and move into the low‑carbon sector.