Green Shipping Corridors Can Help Scale India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem

This policy brief by RMI argues that establishing green shipping corridors is essential for scaling India's green hydrogen ecosystem. It contrasts the limited economic feasibility of domestic coastal routes with the high potential of an international Rotterdam–India–Singapore corridor to aggregate demand and drive down costs for zero-emission fuels.

• India has established a foundation for a hydrogen-ready maritime ecosystem by designating the ports of V. O. Chidambaranar (VOC), Paradip, and Deendayal as hydrogen hubs, which anchor over 12 million tons (Mt) per year of announced green hydrogen and derivative projects.
• The Rotterdam–India–Singapore route is identified as India's first potentially commercially viable green shipping corridor. By aggregating demand across global hubs, this route could unlock more than 1 Mt per year of e-fuel bunkering demand by 2030, supported by India's export potential of 11 Mt/y of green ammonia and 7 Mt/y of green methanol.
• Domestic coastal corridors, such as the VOC–Deendayal route, currently lack the scale to be commercially viable. Annual e-fuel demand on this route is estimated at 19–20 kilotons, which is insufficient for dedicated infrastructure. Furthermore, the lifetime total cost of ownership (TCO) for a green methanol vessel is estimated at US$184 million, approximately 80 percent higher than the US$102 million baseline for conventional very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO).
• International corridors can achieve better economics through scale and the IMO’s Net Zero Framework. Under an optimistic IMO policy scenario, the TCO for ammonia-powered vessels could be 16 percent lower on the VOC–Singapore route and 28 percent lower on the VOC–Rotterdam route compared to conventional vessels.

APA

RMI (2026). Green Shipping Corridors Can Help Scale India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem. https://rmi.org/resources/green-shipping-corridors-can-help-scale-indias-green-hydrogen-ecosystem/

Chicago

RMI. Green Shipping Corridors Can Help Scale India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem. 2026. https://rmi.org/resources/green-shipping-corridors-can-help-scale-indias-green-hydrogen-ecosystem/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Green Shipping Corridors Can Help Scale India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem |date=23 January 2026 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/green-shipping-corridors-can-help-scale-indias-green-hydrogen-ecosystem/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2026green, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Green Shipping Corridors Can Help Scale India’s Green Hydrogen Ecosystem}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2026}, month = jan, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/green-shipping-corridors-can-help-scale-indias-green-hydrogen-ecosystem/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }