• The initiative supports India’s long-term plans, Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV 2047), promoting clean inland water transport, smart infrastructure, and alternative fuels.

• What? Launch of India’s first indigenous Hydrogen FCV Pilot-01
• Launched by: Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, MoPSW
• Where? Varanasi, UP
• Constructed by: CSL under MoPSW’s ‘Harit Nauka’ initiative
• Constructed by: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)
• Developed under: MoPSW’s ‘Harit Nauka’ initiative
• Powered by: LT-PEM fuel cell system and Lithium-ion Phosphate batteries
• Akignment: Maritime India Vision 2030 (MIV 2030) & Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047 (MAKV 2047)

About India’s 1st Hydrogen Fuel Vessel:
Background: In November 2022,  Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) to construct India’s 1st hydrogen  fuel cell catamaran vessel for operation in Varanasi and electric hybrid vessels for UP and Assam.
Specifications: This 24 meter (m)-long hydrogen-powered catamaran, owned by IWAI, was indigenously designed and built by CSL as a pilot project under MoPSW’s ‘Harit Nauka’ initiative.
Passenger Capacity: This fully air-conditioned vessel has the capacity to carry 50 passengers and can operate continuously for 8 hours (hrs) at a speed of 7 to 9 nautical miles per hour(NM/h).
Environmental Features: This newly inaugurated passenger is powered  by a Low-Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (LT-PEM) fuel cell system along with Lithium-ion Phosphate batteries that convert stored hydrogen into electricity and releases only pure water (H2O) as a byproduct, thereby providing passengers with noise-free, smoke-free, and pollution-free travel experience.
Operational Framework: The pilot vessel FCV Pilot-01, certified by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), is being deployed under a tripartite agreement between IWAI, CSL, and Inland and Coastal Shipping Limited(ICSL) covering technical support, operations, financial terms, safety protocols, monitoring, and periodic inspections.
About Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL):
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- Madhu S. Nair
Headquarters- Kochi, Kerala
Established- 1972