The Indian Navy has consistently demonstrated its commitment to environmental protection and green initiatives as a self-driven and responsible force. Being the guardians of the seas, the Navy operates numerous energy-intensive ships, submarines, and aircraft, making energy efficiency a top priority in all operations and processes.
Initiatives towards a ‘Clean and Green Navy’
Solar Power Integration
The Indian Navy has successfully commissioned solar power plants with a cumulative capacity of 15.87 MW, aligning with the government’s ‘Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)’. These plants utilize single-axis sun tracking technology and computerized monitoring & control. An additional 16 MW capacity of solar power plants is currently in various stages of execution.
Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction
In a groundbreaking initiative, the Navy has installed an indigenous and patented retrofit device developed by M/s Chakr Innovations to reduce diesel engine emissions. Long-term trials have shown a remarkable 70% reduction in hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter emissions from the engine. The phased induction of this retrofit device on all land-based diesel gensets will significantly contribute to further emission reductions.
Eco-Friendly Oil Spill Response
The Indian Navy has successfully developed eco-friendly marine bio-remedial agents through NMRL to combat oil spills in naval harbors. This state-of-the-art technology combines micro-organisms and growth stimulants, effectively consuming various types of oils and cleaning the seawater from contamination, preventing damage to the marine ecosystem.
Natural Refrigerant AC Plant
The Indian Navy has also operationalized a first-of-its-kind 100KW capacity AC plant in the country in collaboration with IISc (Bengaluru). According to the India Navy, this plant utilizes the natural refrigerant carbon dioxide. This innovative step reduces the use of conventional high Global Warming Potential (GWP) HCFCs in line with the Kigali Agreement of 2016. The plant, installed at the Centre of Excellence (Marine Engineering), INS Shivaji, has successfully operated for 850 hours.
Exploration of Alternative Fuels
The Indian Navy is actively pursuing the use of hydrogen as a potential alternate fuel source. After successful shore trials of a Hydrogen Aspirated Diesel Engine which resulted in cleaner combustion and significantly reduced CO emissions, the navy has fitted this onboard a ship for pilot trials. Furthermore, in line with the Make in India initiative, a developmental project on hydrogen fuel cell-powered ferry craft is underway in collaboration with shipyards. The Navy has also made progress in using alternate fuels like Used Cooking Oil-based biodiesel to reduce vehicular emissions, with a total of 192KL of B-7 blend biodiesel used in Navy’s motor transport vehicles.
Since the Navy is fully committed to reducing its carbon footprint and ensuring environmental sustainability, it strives to contribute towards a greener and cleaner future for generations to come.