Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday virtually launched India’s first indigenously-developed and built hydrogen fuel cell ferry, in Kochi, Kerala.

The Prime Minister joined the ceremony in virtual mode from Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.

In line with the Centre’s green vision, Cochin Shipyard took up the ambitious project to design, develop and construct India’s first fully-indigenous hydrogen fuel cell catamaran.

The inland waterway vessel built under the Harit Nauka initiative, is a pilot project to demonstrate the technology for the maritime sector.

The adoption of green hydrogen as a maritime fuel is at the forefront of India’s commitment to a sustainable future that aims for ‘net zero’ emissions by 2070 in order to limit global warming.

The fuel cell-powered vessel has zero emission, zero noise and is energy-efficient.