India’s Armed Forces are the symbol of sacrifice and courage that ensure the country’s security, but their commitment towards environmental protection and green initiatives is no less. On the eve of World Environment Day, the Indian Navy highlighted some of the noteworthy initiatives taken towards a ‘Clean and Green Navy’. In a statement released by the Ministry of Defence on June 4, it said the Indian Navy is ‘Geared Up and Committed’ to march towards the pursuit of green initiatives, realizing the national aim to ensure a ‘Greener and Cleaner future for our next generations’.
Being the guardian of the seas, the Indian Navy employs a number of ships, submarines, and aircraft that have high energy intensity, and hence increased energy efficiency is paramount in every operation that the Navy undertakes. It has commissioned solar power with a cumulative capacity of 15.87 MW, in line with the Navy’s objective of fulfilling the government’s ‘Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)’ mission. These plants are grid-connected, utilising single-axis sun tracking technology with computerised monitoring and control.
With the objective of combating oil spills at naval harbours, eco-friendly marine bio-remedial agents have been indigenously developed through the Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL). The product consists of a combination of microorganisms and their growth stimulants, which consume various types of oils such as diesel, lubricating, dirty oils, etc. It cleans the seawater from any oil contamination and its consequent damage to the marine ecosystem.
In collaboration with IISc (Bengaluru), the Indian Navy has also operationalized a ‘first of its kind’ 100KW capacity AC plant in the country based on the natural refrigerant carbon dioxide. It is a significant step towards reducing the use of conventional hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) with high Global Warming Potential (GWP) by employing a natural refrigerant with a GWP of 1.
As a maiden initiative to reduce diesel engine emissions, an indigenous device was installed on a shore-based diesel generator for long-term trials. Trials have indicated a 70% reduction in hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter in the engine’s exhaust emissions.
The Navy is also pursuing the use of hydrogen as a potential alternate source of fuel. It has executed successful shore trials of an aspirated diesel engine, which has enhanced clean combustion, thus reducing CO emissions significantly. Further, in line with the initiative of Make in India, a developmental project on hydrogen fuel cell-powered ferry craft is also being pursued with shipyards.
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